Once Upon a Time in Somnium
by Maggie Grey
Summary: Set a few years after the events of Once Upon a Time, the characters have returned to the Enchanted Forest and Belle's father has passed. Now Rumple and Belle rule with their young daughter Ellery as princess. Selfish and spoiled, Ellery must learn to change in order to break the curse she is put under...and is going to need her nephew's and dead brother's help to do it.
1. Ellery

**So the members of my family as well as a few friends of mine are die hard fans of the show and have asked me to do a little fanfic about what will happen in the future...like after the show. So, my friends asked me to do this spin off with some old characters, but mostly some characters of my own with my own scenario. So I'll give you the background of it before we get this thing rolling. Please note that my best friend was the backbone behind the story while I included the details so I have to tip my hat to her for getting me started. I watched the show from beginning to end over the course of three days just to get this right. Season 3...Killer ending! Anyway, here is the back story to this tale. **

**Set a few years after the events you have witnessed, the characters of Storybrooke, Maine (including Emma and Henry) have returned to the Enchanted Forest to resume their old lives and for Emma to get a chance at the life she was suppose to have. Regina has made peace with the people and has agreed to not cause anymore harm. She became the protector of the Enchanted Forest under Snow White and Prince Charming's rule. If you wish me to get more into her backstory please feel free to contact me. **

**Emma is continuing her relationship with Hook (so far in the series that is what is going on) and Prince Neal is around seventeen, so that means Henry is about twenty seven. Maurice, or Moe French, has passed away and that means Belle is Queen of Avonlea (Belle's kingdom) and that also means you-know-who is the king. That's right guys! Rumplestiltskin married into the throne and is now ruling alongside Belle...with their young daughter as princess. Now, his magic confuses me an awful lot. I mean, in Skin Deep is was breaking, but in everything else it wasn't and he still has his magic and all. Anyway, for this fanfic he still has his Dark One magic and has given Belle full custody of his dagger. Their daughter was born in Storybrooke and came back with them, obviously, when they all returned to the Enchanted Forest. **

**Her names is Ellery and she is one spoiled rotten little girl who knows of her dead half-brother Bealfire and of her family members within the Enchanted Forest. She has magical abilities like her father, but holds true to her mother's beauty. Despite their best efforts, Ellery sees herself as above everyone and everything and knows she faces the threat of an arranged marriage, a law put in place over the kingdom of Avonlea for centuries, which is why Belle was set to marry Gaston. On her sixteenth birthday is when she is to be introduced to the many eligible lords and princes to have her hand in marriage. From there, the man she chooses will be set to marry her when she turns eighteen. Though Belle and Rumple are not all for it, Parliament insists that it must be done. Rumple is still trying to find a way to get his daughter out of it. I think that is all you need to know, so why don't we just jump into the story now and if anything comes up that I did not explain, please let me know. Thanks guys and enjoy!**

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><p><em>(Now the good stuff). <em>

_Fairytale Land of the Past_

_A young girl, no older than five, sits upon the roof of a castle in her nightgown, looking up at the stars. Her green eyes perk up at the sight of a falling star and she smiles with glee, showing some missing teeth. She closes her eyes tightly and crosses her fingers, making a wish. Her long brown curls are brushed back by a sudden gust of wind and she opens her eyes once again, hugging her knees. The glow of the moon makes her milky skin nearly shine as she scrunches her toes and takes in deep breaths. _

_"Can I capture moonshine?" she asks to no one, but an answer is given to her for reply. "No, dearie. I'm afraid you can't." She turns her head quickly and is startled, screaming and toppling over. She starts to fall-falling off the roof down the hundreds of feet of thin air before the green grass below. But suddenly, an invisible force catches her, a soft palm wrapping around her, a thin layer of magic that pulls her back up and safely restores her to the roof before releasing her. _

_She looks up at the figure who is hiding in the shadows. He sets his hand down, showing he was the one who had rescued her as he always does. Alls she can see is the glow of his eyes and the depression that lingered on within them. He always frightened her. He didn't mean to and he honestly wishes that he didn't, but he always did. He could never surprise her. Never just hug her or she would question why. _

_She saw how saddened she had made him with her scream and fearful face and near death experience. This wasn't the first time he had frightened her, but it was the first time where his presence nearly cost her her life, though she knew that he would never let anything happen to her. She took a deep breath and tears even pricked at her own eyes as she saw them floating in his. _

_"I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to- You just- I wasn't expecting...I am so sorry." She looked to her bare feet in shame as her father shut his eyes and shook his head, trying to hide the fact that he had let one tear slip out of his eye and roll down his face. "It's alright, El. I know I frighten you often. I must learn to stop sneaking up on you." She bit her bottom lip. She could hear the cracking in her own father's voice. She blamed herself and she was the only one to blame. She did this to him. She ruined the family. He and mom has been just fine until she came along. Now her father seems more depressed than ever. "No, daddy. It's my fault. I'm so sorry. Won't you please come out of the shadows so I can tell you it to your face?" _

_But he didn't want to come out. He wanted to remain hidden. He even ordered the servants to cover all the mirrors up again. The Queen always made the speeches, never he. He just spoke of tactics and politics. He stayed within the palace walls unless his presence was absolutely needed and extremely important. If not, he never left. So he shook his head and looked to his own feet. "No, I better not, sweetheart. It's best I stay hidden. I may frighten you again."_

_"You could never frighte-" she stopped right there when her father's eyes turned to her, telling her that she was wrong and that they both knew she was wrong. She sighed and stuck out her hand. "Daddy," she spoke softly, "please, come out. I want to see you. Please." _

_There was a moment of silence that stretched on between the two, neither one saying a word and her father debating whether or not coming out from the shadows was the right thing to do. But when he saw the look in his daughter's eyes, the begging, the longing, he knew that her words were true, and that she really did wish to see him. She could stand the sight of him after she had screamed and fell over, she was able to smile at him and hug him. He only startled her when his presence was unannounced or unexpected. He made his decision and ventured out into the light, taking his daughter's tiny hand in his own. _

_Her skin was so fair compared to his. In this lighting it appeared to be an old, worn gray color with scales to layer it. His nails have gotten longer and blacker, it would seem, and his hand was more hideous than he originally thought it was compared to his fair skinned daughter's. She was so pale, like the moon. He inched closer to her, towering over her, yet she did not run, but rather looked up and smiled. He wondered how such a beast, himself, could have created such a beautiful girl. He figured it was because of her mother, though it was clear she held the resemblance of both of her parent's within her, or at least, one of her parent's old features from before. His scaly skin and enlarged amber eyes did not frighten her, nor did his rustled brown and gray hair. Not anymore, at least. She loved her father very much, he was an excellent dad and even helped her with magic. He just could not startle her in such a way. _

_She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb as she gazed up into her father's eyes. "That's better," she smiled and the relief was instantly seen within his ambers. "I'm sorry, daddy. I love you." A smile crept onto his lips as he looked down upon his young daughter, his little girl. Despite the difference in mother's, she reminded him so much of his first child- of his Baelfire. He still missed him, but he was given this second chance with this stunning little creature he made with his dear wife. He would not mess this up. He would never leave her. Nothing was ever going to happen to her, he vowed that. "I love you too, my little Ellery." _

_The words flowed out of his mouth perfectly because they were genuine. His little girl's grin grew two sizes larger as she wrapped her arms around his abdomen and pulled her father into a tight embrace. "The Dark One or not, you are still my daddy. That is something no amount of magic will ever change," she mumbled in that adorable little voice she had. More tears pooled in his eyes, but only for the great warmth he felt in his heart as she said that. Even with his hideous looks and not so charming allure, she was still able to proudly call him her father, making her soul pure. _

_"I came to get you because you should be asleep, my darling. You need your sleep- we have a long magic lesson tomorrow. I need you well rested for this one." She pulled back from her father's embrace, some curls covering her face as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. Her father pushed her curls back behind her ears. "But I'm not tired, daddy. I can stay up for hours." He chuckled at the adorableness that was his daughter before picking her up into his arms. "Of course you are, Ellery. Of course you are. Still, let us try to put you to bed, shall we?" Nestled into his chest and half asleep, she nodded. "Okay, but can you at least tell me a story? You tell the best stories. Mommy always reads her's out of books." He snickered as he walked across the roof, exiting the same way both made it up there- a door that leads down a spiral staircase behind one of the many tapestries. "Alright. What kind?" She took a moment to think as he began to walk down the stone steps, holding his daughter close to him. "A nice one. One with a beautiful princess and a beast she has to slay." He smiled as the perfect story came rushing to his head in a second's worth of time. "I have one for you." He cleared his throat, preparing to begin as Ellery awakened herself a little more to be sure not to miss a detail, sticking her thumb into her mouth, only for her father to gently tug it out. "Buck teeth, remember white rabbit?" She giggled and nodded, her brown curls bouncing with her head. "Story, daddy. Tell me the story." He nodded and took a breath. _

_"Once upon a time, in the Enchanted Forest, there was this beautiful, stunning, amazing, gorgeous princess. Her name was well fitted for her looks and heart- Beauty. Beauty lived in a large castle with her father and a handsome prince whom she was to wed in later years. One day, however, their peaceful kingdom came to be attacked by terrible ogres." Ellery gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh no," she whispered. "Oh yes," her father corrected. "What happened?" Her voice was full of awe and wonder, her father couldn't help, but to smile a little more. "Let me finish and you shall find out," he said, and little Ellery shushed herself, sticking her thumb back into her mouth only for her father to remove it once more. "White rabbit," he teased and she looked down apologetically. _

_"Back to the story, her father-the King, sought out the help from a creature that he was told about. A creature with great magic and the ability to save any kingdom if need be. Desperate, the King agreed to pay this creature a great amount of gold if he should save their kingdom from its doom. The creature accepted, but not on terms of gold. _

_"When the creature arrived, all were horrified of his horrid appearance. He had the skin of a crocodile and the teeth of a wild bore. His hair was as messy as a wolf's and his eyes were as black as his heart. Most were frightened, but dear Beauty remained strong before him-before the beast. He agreed to help the kingdom, but only if Beauty were to come and live with him in his castle as his maid. The King told the beast he would never agree to such a deal, but Beauty," he removed her thumb from her mouth once again, "said she would go with the beast forever so long as he promised to keep her kingdom safe. The deal was struck and the beast took Beauty to his castle. There he made her work as his slave for several months and even found her presence to be quite soothing. The two soon became friends," he walked down one of the many golden halls to his daughter's bedchambers, "and grew rather fond of each other. _

_"Beauty was never permitted to leave the castle, but having pity on her, his new friend, the beast allowed Beauty to go to the market and to buy items for the castle. He expected to never ever see her again. Beauty left. She took what she needed and left the castle and left it fast, not even looking back. He watched her go," he entered his daughter's bedchambers and placed her gently in her over large mattress and quilts, resting her head on one of the dozens of pillows she had, " he watched her leave...leave him. He was so close to crying, tears filling his eyes, but he knew he did the right thing by letting her go. He did not understand the feeling at first because he never felt it before, but later he knew exactly what he was feeling." Ellery's eyes opened wide with curiosity as her father tucked her in and sat on the edge of her bed. "What was he feeling, daddy? What was the beast feeling?" He looked to the floor then smiled at his daughter. _

_"Love. True love, sweetheart. He had fallen so helplessly in love with Beauty. That was why he let her go. So she could return to her loved ones. So she could be with her family and friends." Ellery's face showed signs of sadness, not too pleased with how the story was going. "But he loved her. He found his true love." Her father's eyes seemed to glow in some special way, the way they do only when he looked at her mother. "I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I do. _

_"And he waited. He waited in his highest tower, in the library he gave her because she adored books-"_

_"Just like mommy?" _

_He chuckled. "Exactly like mommy. He watched and waited for nearly an entire day to see if she felt the same way about him. And guess what, El?" _

_"What?" she whispered. _

_"She came back." The smile that grew onto his daughter's face, huh, priceless. "Really?" she asked and her father nodded. "Yes, El. She came back. She loved the beast just as much as he loved her. They knew, oh they knew, that they were going to have many challenges to face. They knew they may lose each other on a few occasions, but they also knew that their life would not be about losing each other. It would be about finding each other. They would stop at nothing to be together. They were just too in love with each other to let anything get in their way. She took his black heart and made it glow with light. The Beauty fell in love with the beast and they got married and had a lovely baby girl together. And they all lived happily ever after. The end." _

_Ellery yawned again before smiling up at her father. "That was a great story, daddy. I am happy the beast found love and that Beauty came back. I doubt that would ever happen in real life." Her father just sighed with a shrug. "I have a feeling your mother would be able to be Princess Beauty. Those two are very much alike." Ellery giggled and pulled the covers up just a bit more. "Yes, she is. Do you think she would go back for the beast?" Her eyelids slowly began to close on her as she drifted into her sleeping state. "Yes, Ellery. I do. I really believe she would go back for the beast. I know she would." _

_He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his daughter's forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment longer than they should have. He loved this child more than he could say. He was a bit overprotective and he knew what that had cost him the first time. He was sure he was not going to make that same mistake again. "Good night, my sweet Ellery." He stood from his spot on the bed and drifted towards the door, looking back at his sleeping daughter and feeling his heart overflow with the love he had for her. She was his little girl, his darling princess. Nothing could ever change his feelings for her, no matter what she may do. No matter what anyone should do._

_He closed her chamber doors gently as to not wake her, and when he turned his attention forward he was delighted by the sight. His beautiful wife in her own nightgown, leaning against the wall with her arms folded in front of her, her long brown hair disheveled, but her eyes just as blue as the sapphires he gave her for their anniversary last year. "Princess Beauty is unlike any princess I have ever heard about before, but I believe you left a part out from that tale." He leaned against their daughter's door and examined Belle from head to toe. "Did I now?" She giggled and nodded. "Yes. You forgot the part where she tugged so hard on the curtains she fell and he caught her. Or the time she chipped the teacup. Or what about when they first kissed and he threw a fit." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "A thing in the past that I have asked forgiveness for on so many occasions and that you have accepted on so many occasions." _

_She tried to keep her laughs silent, not wanting to wake their daughter in the room close to them. "How could I forget? Either way, I got tired of waiting up for you. You said you were going to get her and bring her back to bed. She needs sleep, just as you do, Rumple." She extended her hand, offering him her love, warmth and comfort. "Come to bed with me." He gladly took her hand just as he took his daughter's early that night. Except, this time, he pulled her off the wall and straight into his arms, bringing the tip of her nose to his. "I would happily follow you across the oceans and worlds if that meant we could be forever together." She blushed a bright rose red at his words. He could be so romantic at times that it made her feel like a little girl again. He leaned in closer and brushed his lips against her's, closing his eyes and just letting all of the feeling absorb him. He owed too much to this woman, he could never make up for it. She gave him life, light and love, as well as a second beautiful child. She gave him hope and a reason to live again, and for that he was eternally grateful. "To bed then," he whispered when he released her lips from his own and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her to their own bedchambers._

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><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

Just a few more steps and she would be there. A little closer. The anticipation grew within the stomach of the predator, adrenaline lining her brow. So close, just a little more. She was so unaware. Not expecting a single thing as her enemy hid upon the wooden beam above it all. Watching. Waiting. Finally, the last step was taken and it happened.

Maid Mary-Lu stepped right into the pit she had created on the golden floors of her home, sending the woman tumbling down-down into this hole that had just appeared when she was sure it had never been there before. But a pit does not show up out of nowhere. Someone had to have placed it there, and she was sure she knew who it was.

She looked up in a fit of rage and fire fueled her eyes. She was simply not paid enough to deal with this little brat. And that little brat held her gut as she laughed hysterically from the high beam she sat upon near the ceiling. Her personal hand maiden stood on her feet and tried to reach the edge of the pit to try and pull herself up, but it was just too deep. She just tumbled back over, landing on her bottom, causing it to ache...and only making the pest laugh harder.

"You laugh now, you little worm. But just wait till I get out of here and tell your parents! Especially your father! You are going to be so finished when I get up there!" Maid Mary-Lu shouted, but the tiny child had to take the threat seriously.

She grabbed ahold of one of the many ropes tied to one of the beams, the ropes that controlled the oversized curtains that covered the windows, and stepped off the beam allowing the pulley to bring her safely to the ground. Her boots smacked against the solid floor and she sprinted off down the halls, racing and running to be seen as innocent and making the hole in the floor disappeared as she did so. She knew she had a limited amount of time to get back to her bedchambers, she needed to get there fast. Skidded across the floor, her boots making a large squeak echo throughout the walls and corridors as she turned down yet another hall to make it safely to her chambers. Maid Mary-Lu could never take a joke. Not ever. She had to have known that by now. Maid Mary-Lu has been her hand maiden for nearly sixteen years. Sixteen years exactly in just a few weeks. Boy, how the time flies.

She reached her large chamber doors and pulled it open with a tug, slipping her skinny body inside the slot she created between the door and the frame before pulling it closed behind her. She wasted no one time, not even bothering to check her appearance as she headed straight for her spinning wheel and filled it with the fresh straw Maid Mary-Lu had bought for her that morning. With one quick whisk of the wheel, the straw spun itself into gold, landing gracefully into her waiting basket. It wasn't the best she has ever made, but that was because she made it quickly in hopes of making it seem as though she has been at it for hours. Once satisfied with the amount already in her basket, she slowed down her pace and cautiously focused on her creation, remembering moments of rage and then calming herself with memories of joy. Her father taught her that magic needed to grow into balance. It can't just be one thing at a time. It has to bring the opposites together because the whole world was made of opposites, and so was she.

"You really thought you could fool me, dearie?" She turned her head at the sudden obstruction of her devious plan, spotting her father sitting in the far corner of her room. "How long have you been sitting there?" she asked with nerves in her voice, still a bit shaken at suddenly spotting him. He still frightened her on occasions. "Long enough." He stood up from his seat and made his way over to her. She bit her lip harshly and looked back at the wheel, spinning it gently and slowly, admiring its work and focusing on anything, but her own failure. "So, you know what I did to Maid Mary-Lu, don't you?" She did not need to look up from her work to know that he was directly above her, staring her down with those define amber eyes of his. He still made her feel so small, especially when he was angry and it was hard to tell what emotions he was feeling at the moment. "Yes, I do," he whispered back and she took in a deep breath. "You're mad at me." It wasn't a question, rather a statement because she could feel some strong surge of energy developing from the emotion he felt and was filling the room. "No, not mad. Rather, disappointed."

Confusing, but she figured disappointment was worse than anger. She became sour of herself and silently smacked her head with her imagination. "I thought I taught you better than to get caught," he went onto say and smile inched its was upon her lips. She peeked through her thick, long lashes up at her father who was grinning down at her. She smiled up at him. "You did. Forgive me for not remembering." He lolled his head, as if deciding whether or not he should accept or decline her request in his forgiveness. "Well, considering the fact that you are my daughter, I guess I can forgive you for this one slip up. But no more after this, deal?" She squinted her eyes and folded her arms. "Daddy, I know better than to make deals with you." He laughed and mussed up her hair for her smart tactics and charming wit. She was growing up to be quite the woman.

"Can we practice sword fighting today, daddy? I have been practicing an awful lot and I believe I have gotten a lot better. I did what you told me to do, securing one hand behind my back and only handling my sword with my right." He nodded proudly at her and offered his hand for her to take. She grasped it and he pulled her to her feet. "Why is it you cannot enjoy what most princesses do? Gowns and balls and...and-"

"Princes?" she raised a brow and smiled. Her father looked to her a bit stunned by her choice of words, but she laughed it off and locked arms with her father as he began to lead her out of her room. "Don't worry, daddy. Guys are not for me. Neither are the gowns and parties. I would much rather spend my time in breeches and a tunic." He patted her hand delicately, even though he knew she could withstand a great amount of pain. "Believe me, white rabbit, I know. However, we cannot do sword fighting today. You and your mother need to make an appearance else where." She rolled her eyes and kept them locked on the floor. "Which kingdom now and why aren't you coming?"

"Your family's. Prince Henry's, Princess Emma's, Snow White's...Prince Neal's; they are expecting you to be there. You must start getting ready now. The carriage will be here to take you and your mother within an hour."

"Why aren't you coming?"

"Maid Mary-Lu has already prepared your dress and was on her way to your dressing room to help you until the magical hole incident in the corridors."

"Why aren't you coming?"

"And your mother is nearly finished preparing. You know how punctual she is. She wants to be there early."

"Father," she stopped and pulled her arm away from his, stepping in front of him and preventing him from moving any further, forced to look into her eyes. "Why aren't you coming?" He took in a deep steady breath as he witnessed the pain and wonder lingering in her eyes. Aw, she loved him. And he knew she did. He placed his palm as softly as he could manage on her cheek and she leaned into his touch. "Sweetheart, you know why I don't go to these kind of events. It is best I stay hidden and not out in public. It just makes everyone more comfortable."

She sighed and blinked to get the water out of her eyes. "But they're family. They would love to have you over. They do. And I know Henry would be more than happy to see you again. He loves you." He took in a deep breath and removed his hand from her face. "Trust me, sweetheart, it is better I stay put. But you and your mother go, and you have a wonderful time, and tell me all about it when you get back."

He took her hand in his and began to lead her away. "Just trust me, El, it is better this way." She huffed and walked with him without a fuss. "No one seemed disturbed by your presence in Storybrooke." He throat laughed at that comment, but kept walking on. "You were not old enough to remember Storybrooke, but things back then were different. I didn't...you know...look the way I did back in Storybrooke. Things were a lot easier, but this our home and this is how it must be. If my power dies, I die. I don't want it either, but at least I am able to control unlike how I used to."

"Like when you lost Bae?" The question slipped out before she had time to truly process it. It stung her the moment she said it and she knew it most likely hurt him more when it was spoken. She quickly turned to her father and apologized frantically. "I am sorry, daddy. I didn't mean to say that." Yet he showed no sign of pain, rather disappointment in himself. "No need to be sorry, El. It is true. It was because of my selfishness that I lost my son, my boy. The most important person in my life. Bae is gone and that is not a mistake I can fix no matter how hard I tried, attempting to break the Laws of Magic a numerous amount of times, even Belle doing the same. I never have given up on it either, but I learned my lesson. And it was from that lesson that I have gained two more very special people in my life- your mother and you."

She gave a ghost of a smile and gripped her father's hand tighter. She had only heard stories of Baelfire; what he looked like, how her father had abandoned him, spent over twenty eight years trying to get him back, taking care of Henry and eventually giving up his life to save his son, only for Bae to return the favor. She really wished she could have met her brother. Based on what she has heard about him, he was one heck of a guy.

"So, there is nothing I can say to convince you to come?" she asked and Rumple shook his head. "I'm afraid not, sweetheart, but you must understand that it is only for your protection. It is best that your friends, that the people on the outside, don't know who your father is. I ruined Bae's childhood like that. I don't want to ruin yours." She understood his reasoning, but she had only hoped that her father would understand that her family always came first. Before friends, before herself. She knew her father needed her even more than she needed him, though she did not bother to share that only-known-to-her fact with anyone. "I understand, daddy. I'll let it go." He pulled her head to him and kissed her crown. "That's my girl." He draped his arm over her shoulder and walked her to her dressing room where Maid Mary-Lu tapped her foot rapidly on the solid ground, arms folded and a look of disgust on her face.

"Your Majesty," she bowed her head to Rumplestiltskin and he grinned in return. "My daughter would like to formally apologize for her harmless prank, and hopes your bottom did not suffer any damages." Ellery tried to hide her chuckles but it was no use. It was clearly visible she was dying of laughter. "I'm fine, Your Majesty. I shall get her ready for the occasion if that is all."

"Thank you, Maid Mary-Lu." He handed his daughter over to her and the two woman disappeared into the changing room, off to prepare Princess Ellery for her step or regular or whatever nephew or cousin or whatever Prince Neal was to her's birthday. She didn't even bother to memorize her family tree on her father's side. Things past Bae, Emma and Henry just got too confusing. (Fact: If Ellery was a real character, Prince Neal would be her "brother in-law" if Emma and Bae had gotten married.)

Rumple slumped away back to his own chambers where Belle stood on a stool before her hand maidens, they shaping they dress to look perfect on her elegant body. She could see her husband enter through the reflection in the mirror and smiled upon his arrival. Her head turned quickly around to face him, and just as she always does, she flashed him her greatest smile. "Is she getting ready?" her adorable accent asked him, sending chills down his spin whenever he heard her speak. "Yes, she is, darling." His next statement was for the maids in the room. "May I get a moment alone with my wife, please?" The maids stopped their tasks and bowed to him. He still wasn't used to that.

After they had gone, Belle stepped off of her stool and made her away over to her clearly aching husband. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to look into his eyes, but he was avoiding direct contact with her blueness. He knew if he were to look her in the eyes he would be at her mercy. He wanted some power and will left within him. "Did you frighten her again?" she asked, but he was quick to shake his head. "Oh no, dear. Nothing like that. She asked why I would not be going with you."

"Henry will be wondering as well. You barely see him, and when you do it is only when he comes here. Rumple, I love you, but you need to start seeing that side of the family more often. That's your son's family. That is your family." He knew she was right, though he does not often like to admit when he is in the wrong. "I know he is the last connection I have with my son, but Belle, we both know that it is best if I stay here. She doesn't seem to understand when I tell her such things, so I was hoping that on your way there you may speak to her. Explain to her that it is best I remain here, alone, so that I can be who I am and not hurt anyone." She used her knuckles to softly stroke his chin, he falling victim just to her mere touch. He shut his eyes and focused on the warmth that came from that small, yet so meaningful action. Oh, his sweet Belle. "You never hurt anyone anymore, Rumple. The moment you start believing that is the moment it will be true. I'll talk to her, but she has a very good question that deserves an ever better answer. One that only her father can give." He lost it. His eyes locked with her's and just as he predicted, he found himself unable to argue with her, rather just move into her and press his lips against her own. "I messed up being a father the first time because of this bloody curse. I don't want to mess it up again." Belle shook her head and held her husband even tighter. "You are already turning out to be a wonderful father, as I knew you would."

"What kind of father frightens their own daughter so terribly that she nearly falls off of the roof to plunge to her death?"

"The kind that is responsible enough to catch her."

He took in a deep breath and moved away from her, unable to stand for much longer. He strayed towards their overly huge bed and sat on the edge of it. He wished things were easier. He wished he could get rid of this blasted curse. But the only way to do that was to go back to what they thought was home, but it wasn't. It was just one stop he had made on a lifelong journey to just spend a few extra moments with his son and hopefully earn his forgiveness.

"Oh, Belle. I do love her. More than anything, but she just doesn't see. She doesn't see consequences. She doesn't justification. She needs to know that everything comes with a price. That some things in life you have to earn. Everything has been handed to her since the day she was born. I love her, truly, but she is one spoiled child who simply does not know the difference between right and wrong," he did his best to explain while he twiddled with his thumbs in his lap.

"And you did at her age?" Belle questioned. And when he didn't respond, she took his hands in her own and made his attention, his focus point, be her once again. "Make her see. Make her see that there is good and bad in this world. That no matter how rich one is, that does not excuse them from being a good person. Make her see that you can be the man you once were."

"A coward?"

"No," she brought his hands to her heart and held them there for moment, until his eyes met her's once again. "Light."

* * *

><p><strong>I leave it at that for now. Let me know what you guys think and trust me, we will be getting more into it. I got a big plot planned for this story. Thanks for the support and don't forget to check out my other story entitled Trickster! Thanks again.<strong>


	2. Baelfire

**Alright, next chapter. Help spread the word and enjoy guys!**

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><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_She absolutely hated dresses and corsets. They itched and ached and made her feel as though she couldn't breathe. She would much rather be in her breeches and tunic with a sword strapped to her hip rather than these heels. She desired her boots. Standing there, watching everyone dance for Prince Neal's tenth birthday. Not even he knew he was named after her brother. She could only imagine how many other people did not know either. She despised some people for that. _

_"Stop fussing with it, darling. You'll wrinkle it," Belle said as she removed her daughter's hands from her dress. "It's already wrinkled," Ellery protested, and yet her mother did not stop trying to straighten it out. "Ellery, you'll get used to the feeling. Not even I was all that interested in ball gowns and parties when I was your age, but I promise, the more you wear them the more you'll get used to them." Still, Ellery pulled away from her mom's grasping hands, causing Belle to be startled, but knew the regular and well anticipated question was coming. _

_"Why doesn't daddy ever come with us?" Belle took in a deep breath and looked for the best possible explanation. Truth is, there were none. He could have come, whenever he pleases, and he was told that on several occasions, but he always declines. Always rejected the offer. "He has his reasons," was all she could say before brushing a stray curl back behind her daughter's ear. She had her brown locks tied up into a bun with two loose curls on either side of her forehead. Belle could hardly believe she was her own daughter. Could hardly believe that she had created this beauty. _

_"You look lovely," she told her daughter, but Ellery showed no sign of thanks other than a slight tip of the head. "I'm going for a walk," she told her mother as she ventured away, arms swaying at her sides instead of placed in front of her like she had been told on so many occasions. _

_She stepped outside of the great hall, past where all of the guests had gathered, and walked about the large garden behind the colossal castle. Once out of sight of all the wandering eyes that were fixed sharp on her, the daughter of the Dark One, she released herself from their calumny and consternation. They could jeer all they liked, but she would never fall victim to their hate or harsh words. She reached up behind her and let her hair down. The long brown curls sprung free and wild as she gave her hair a whip. Much better. A new sense of freedom flowed over her as she ran her fingers through her stands, feeling their softness and untameness. Oh, this felt too good. After releasing her locks, she went ahead and used the same spell her father taught her not too long ago. She spun her finger and her dressed was replaced with an olive green tunic and black breeches. On her feet were her tall, leather, black boots that she adored so dearly. On her hip appeared her sword. The one her father had gotten for her on her fifth birthday. Belle never understood why he did that, and the two still 'argue' about it from time to time. It didn't matter. It was her's to hold and to have. _

_Rumple had the blacksmith craft it to fit her size and strength perfectly. Not only that, but it was enchanted with her father's magic. As she grew, the sword adjusted itself, always able to be her weapon of choice when fighting in any battle no matter how old she may be. A stunning golden handle and steel blade, it was crafted to perfection. Only the best for his little girl. _

_She unsheathed her weapon and tossed it from one hand to the other. She examined its greatness in the light of the sun as the bright rays reflected themselves off of the flawless steel, illuminating the area with beauty. She made the blade cut through the air sharply and quickly, making a 'whooshing' sound as she did so. It felt splendid to hear that sound. So, onward she went with twisting and turning it about. _

_"I am the great sword master, Ellery, daughter of Queen Belle and the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin! Sister to Baelfire and the aunt of Prince Henry!" she shouted as she moved her feet about in something that would resemble a dance. A waltz mixed with a hint of a tango. She seemed rather graceful in her actions, but then again, she had such a wonderful teacher. Her father taught her well. _

_"You really think that you are that great with a sword?" a certain someone asked her. She stopped suddenly and looked over her shoulder to see who was talking to her. She knew the face once she locked eyes with him. "Prince Neal," she spoke and bowed her head for a slight dip. "Princess Ellery, I hope I am not interrupting anything." She sheathed her sword and took in deep breaths to try and calm her rapidly beating heart from the rush of adrenaline she had gone through in those few moments with her sword. "No, nothing at all. Just um, practicing." He stood up from the rock he was sitting upon, examining his relative with curious eyes. _

_"You have good posture, I'll give you that," he commented. Ellery wasn't pleased. Did he think so lowly of her just because she was a girl? She hated when such snobbish people did such sexiest things. They obviously didn't know that a times were a changing. "Who taught you how to use a sword?" She lifted her head proudly as she responded. "My father. And he didn't only teach me how to handle a sword, but other useful weapons as well." Prince Neal merely chuckled at her boldness. "Oh, really? Like what?" The list was endless, reaching on and on in Ellery's head. So many weapons, so many skills. Just pick one. "Oh, the list is rather long to tell you all of it, but one thing is daggers-throwing knives to be more exact." _

_Prince Neal stopped in his tracks, and Ellery was able to see his footing, they way his torso rested. He was taking his stance. "Who taught you?" she asked him, trying to drift his attention from her moving hand towards the hilt of her sword. "My father," he smiled, and pulled out his sword, going to slash the girl, but Ellery was just as quick. Her sword was out and she blocked his blow with her own steel. _

_"Not as bad as I thought you would be, but you still think you're better than me?" he asked and Ellery laughed. "Oh, yes. I think I am," she smiled. She twisted her sword about and around, swiping her sword across his and holding one hand behind her back. He packed a good punch behind his blows when his steel rang on her's, but what he lacked was tactics. She anticipated his next move before he even began to make it. She saw it coming up, nearing into the future, but she prepared for it. From up and down, right to left, back up, left, down, left, right, up, all about her sword danced with his and her feet in a graceful waltz. It was clear he was struggling and it was obvious she could keep going. She blocked his sword and spun, wrapping her arm around his neck and connecting her right knee with his face, sending him stumbling back onto the floor, dropping his sword. When he went to reach for it, Ellery's large boot blocked off the contact and he was stuck with a sword pointed at his neck, Ellery above him. _

_"My father, I hear tell, fought your's once before. My daddy won." Prince Neal chuckled despite the fact that a sword was pointed at his throat. They were family. They weren't going to kill each other. It was more of sibling rivalry. "Forgive me for not being wiser, Princess Ellery." _

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><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

She always hated going to these parties when her father wasn't with her. She considered herself socially awkward, different from everyone else. She wanted to fit in, and she tried very hard, but everywhere she went she just didn't belong. Her father understood that, her mother never did. Belle was loved wherever she went, and the ground she walked on was worshiped. She was an angel to all eyes and was only put in harm's way if someone wanted to harm her father. That's the way it has always been. Not to say she did not love her mother, she did dearly, and if she had to choose between her parents it would be impossible to decide. Her mother helped her understand what was good, right and just. How to have a pure heart and how to see goodness in others when it wasn't even there to begin with. Her father taught her how to love the different parts of herself. How to bring it all into balance. But bringing things into balance was never easy.

The carriage rocked back and forth, and had she not have been in a carriage so many times before she probably would have gotten sick from the motion. Running over twigs, roots and such as they went along their merry way off to the other half of the family. She looked out the window despite the fact that there really wasn't that much more to see. It was only trees and bushes, nothing she hasn't seen before, but she didn't know what else to do. Concern was etched on Belle's face, even though it was well unknown why her daughter was darn depressed.

"You look beautiful, dear," she commented, in hopes of lightening the mood. Ellery didn't even turn her head when she responded. "Thank you, mom. You look lovely as well." Belle straightened her back, trying to better position herself to appear as a mother figure. She was still young, she didn't know how to do this. But she was still trying and despite her young age, when she discovered she was pregnant with Ellery, she couldn't help, but to weep with tears of joy. It was one of the happiest moments of her life. And when she told Rumple the news, how he fell to his knees and pressed his lips to her belly. Ellery was a blessing and she never forgot that.

"Ellery," Belle went on, "I know you wonder why your father never joins us whenever we attend balls or celebrations, but you must trust me when I say it is only for you-to keep you safe and protected." Ellery snapped and turned to her mother. "Protected from what? How could he protect me if he is not with me?" She had a point, but it was much more complicated than that. She just didn't understand. She was a bright girl who should know the truth, so Belle sighed and prepared her words.

"You know of your half-brother, Baelfire?" she asked and Ellery nodded. "The dead one. Yes, mother. You told me about him, but not much. I think I deserve to know a little bit more other than he is Henry's father by Emma." She nodded and bit her bottom lip rather harshly. "Yes, dear. And right now, I am going to tell you more. I want to tell you how your father came to possess the power he has." This made her sit on the edge of her seat. Never has her parents ever talked about how her father became the Dark One, but they rather just stated what he was and explained what came with it. She knew about the dagger and the vault, but that was about it. "Really?" she asked and Belle nodded. "Yes. You're old enough now to know the truth. To know why your father does certain things.

"A long time ago, the entire Enchanted Forest was at stake. Ogres were taking over everything, so the Duke ordered that children as young as fourteen go and fight in this battle. They sent them to the front lines." What? She couldn't imagine how many innocent lives had been taken. How many young children had perished. She knew how horrid and brutal ogres could be, how destructive. "Bae was fourteen when the wars were going on. Your father was desperate to keep him alive because Bae was all he had left. So he went to the Duke's castle, lit it up with flames, ventured inside and stole the Dark One's dagger. He killed the Dark One to have his powers to protect your brother. It worked. Bae was not forced to fight, your father single-handedly ended the Ogre Wars and even lead the children home, but ever moment after that was difficult. The power soon consumed him, making him change, making him violent. Your brother's friends abandoned him out of fear for your father. Bae lost all of his friends except one, who disappeared too soon. He doesn't want to ruin your childhood, El. That is why he stays inside, why he does not appear next to you. You may not fear him, but too many people still do. He just wants to ensure you have a normal childhood, and if locking himself away is the only way to do it, then you better believe that that is the lengths he would go to protect you. Now you know, El. Now you know the truth behind everything your father does. He does it to help you."

Well, now it all made sense to her. That little explanation made all the difference. She couldn't be that upset by her father's actions right about now. She knew her father had a reason behind everything he does, but that good of a reason, that heartwarming of a reason, made her see his actions differently. "Oh," she spoke softly. She brushed a stray curl behind her ear and fiddled with her fingers in her lap. "That explains a lot," she mumbled and Belle saw this as an opportunity to perhaps, send her daughter's mind drifting to happier thoughts. She took her daughter's hands gently with her's and stroked the back of her hands with her thumbs. "So now you know, dear. You can make his efforts worth everything by enjoying the life he has given you. Take advantage of what he is doing for you because that will make him the happiest man alive." Ellery smiled at her mother's words and looked down at their locked hands. "I thought you made him the happiest man alive, mom." Belle blushed a slight crimson before giving a shy smile. "I'm just a contributing factor," she shrugged and sat back in her seat, getting comfortable again. "I'll try to put on my best smile," Ellery teased, but that was all her mother could ask for.

"Your Majesties," the carriage driver said as he opened the door. "We have arrived." Belle smiled warmly at her daughter who did her best to return the favor, but it was rather clear that she wasn't all too excited to be here. She would much rather be at home practicing magic with her father or sword fighting with him as well. Still, she stomached her disappointment and made her way out of the carriage behind her mother, being helped out by their driver. "Thank you," Belle told the driver and made her way towards the castle in which the celebration was taking place.

Ellery took a deep breath and followed close behind in her mother's footsteps, trying to seem as graceful as she. Trying to be as elegant, but that was something Ellery lacked in such great amounts. Elegance and grace. Belle was the perfect example of a queen who was loved, Ellery was the perfect example of a princess not so in tuned with her people. She pretended she cared.

The room was filled with various people she both knew and had not the slightest idea who they were. Woman in ball gowns with tiaras on their heads, hair done up into perfection. She would give anything to have her mussy curls free to move about and her stomach released from such a tight corset. She followed Belle straight to the host; Emma. She looked stunning, however, in a nice, flowing blue dress with her hair tied up neatly. Her smile was as bright as ever and she seemed just so damn happy. She always looked so beautiful in Ellery's opinion, and felt very welcomed whenever she embraced her.

"Ellery!" Emma cheered and took her in tightly, the one family member besides her parents that she actually enjoyed seeing. "It's good to see you again, Emma," Ellery spoke honestly as her mother watched with glee in the happy reunion. Emma released the young girl from her tight embrace and held her out at arm's length. "How's your father?" she asked in true concern. That was one thing she loved about Emma. She actually cared no matter who the family was. "He's...alright, I guess," she shrugged. Emma didn't seem too pleased with that answer, but knew it was none of her business, and so decided to stay out of it for now. "Did he teach you any new tricks?" she questioned and Ellery lolled her head. "Just the basics. Nothing to report." Emma took that answer before turning her attention to the brunet in the gold dress. "Belle, it's always good to see you, of course." The two women embraced tightly, truly pleased to be seeing the others after such a long time. But Ellery was sure that she saw Emma whisper something into her mother's ear. Something that she was positive neither one would want her to hear. The only thing her mother did in response was nod her head and then smiled down at her daughter.

"Why don't you go and dance, catch up with the family? Emma and I need to discuss a few things," Belle suggested. But Ellery was not born yesterday, she knew some secret talk was taking place behind her back, but she had to trust her mother and the closest thing she had to a sister. "Alright," she bowed her head and then wandered across the dance floor, still not used to the feeling of heels on her feet, or rather, just didn't enjoy heels on her feet. She didn't fancy the color purple either, so why she was in a large purple dress with tall heels and white gloves on her arms made no sense to her. Then again, that was the price of being a royal. You have to dress and act a certain way, a way that was simply not in her nature.

"Excuse me," a young man's voice called to her, "but may I be sure I am addressing the right person; you are Princess Ellery, right?" She turned her attention to the young lad who could not be older than seventeen and flashed another fake smile. She knew where this was going to go and was not so sure she was up for the challenge. "You found me," she answered and the lad gave a slight chuckle. "Glad I did. I hope I am not out of line when I say that you are the most beautiful creature in the room." Was there a pun intended? Creature? "No, I can't say that is, but if you were trying to make a joke, you failed at it," she snapped back, catching him a little off guard. "Oh, no. No joke at all, my Lady. As a matter of fact, it was supposed to be a compliment, so I guess I failed at that." Ellery shrugged. "I guess you have." The lad's grin faded into a frown, but he regained his composure rather quickly, like within a matter of seconds. "Well, Princess Ellery, please allow me to make it up to you with a dance." Oh no. She wasn't going to lie, she was a good dancer. It was just the fact that she did not enjoy dancing with random strangers, especially those that were attempting to make her swoon over them. Oh, she could see well past this whole nice guy act, only for him to be able to slip his tongue down her throat before the night was through. She wasn't going to let that happen, but she couldn't just deny the dance. She remembered what her father was doing for her. Locking himself up and away so that she can have all these wonderful opportunities that Bae never got the chance to experience. She was going to do what her mother suggested, and that was make the most of it.

"Alright, you can try," she agreed and the lad's face lit up with some newly discovered enjoyment. He took her hand gracefully in his, bowing slightly to her, and she returned the gesture. Next thing she knew, his hand was on her waist and they were gliding across the floor in any way, but gracefully. He had two left feet for sure.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_"But I don't like to dance, daddy," she complained as he put her magically in a slim skirt and loose top. "I know you don't, sweetheart, but it is something that you must learn because of your title," he explained as he approached her. "I never asked to become a princess," she pouted and folded her arms. "And I never asked to marry into royalty, but there are some things you just lose sight of sometimes, and you have to give in." She rolled her eyes. "So I have to suffer because you and mom fell in love?" He laughed, but nodded once he caught his breath. She was a bit offended because to her, it wasn't all that funny, but rather annoying. "Yes, El. Unfortunately, as a result of your mother and I falling in love, you must suffer the consequences as must I. I never ever wanted to find myself in this position. Being a king is not something I ever desired, but what's done is done, and I wouldn't have things any other way." He seemed uncertain with that last part, only due to the fact that is wasn't completely true. He would still have Bae if things went according to his desires. _

_"Now, shall we practice?" She rolled her eyes, but dropped her arms so that her father may lead her in a dance. "Alright, now since you are a girl, you have the advantage. You don't need to know much. Just how to follow the man you are dancing with. You let him lead." _

_"But why?" she asked. She was always so stubborn. "That is just the way the world works," was her father's answer for nearly everything she asked that he honestly didn't feel like explaining. _

_"Okay, the placement of the arms. You are going to place your left hand on my shoulder." She did as she was told, reaching up and softly placing her palm on her father's shoulder that was covered in the light material that made up his robe. "Good, now your right hand is going to lock with mine." He took his daughter's frail hand in his large and scaly one, being sure she did not slip her fingers in between his own. "Just like that," he said. "Keep your fingers together." He placed his other hand slightly on his daughter's waist and began to move his feet. "Now, just follow my feet and look down if you must." She lowered her vision and watched. She copied every movement her father made. Foot forward, foot back, out to the side, together, any way he moved she followed. He was rather pleased with her stunning performance. She was a fast learner. _

_"Very good, Ellery. You're a natural at this. Your mother can help you with the more graceful stuff, but at least I was able to teach you the basics." Her father was an excellent teacher, and she soon found herself able to dance without even having to look down upon their feet. She just could feel what to do next and acted out upon her gut. _

_"I was told that yesterday, you and Prince Neal disappeared from the crowd and went into the garden. Is that true?" Her face turned pale as all the blood drained from it. Damn, he had spied everywhere. "Not for the reason you think, daddy. I left to get some air. He followed. We spoke and then we both went back inside." He squinted at her and gave her a nice little twirl before bringing her back in for him to continue staring her down. "Oh, really? Now, how's about you tell me the truth?" She was done. Her father didn't need to use magic on her. Just his disappointment or anger was enough to get him talking, and at the moment, she wasn't exactly sure which emotion he was experiencing. "I left to practice with my sword, and I guess he followed me out. We had a bit of a fight, but no one got hurt. That's all that happened. It was all in good fun. What did you think happened?" she asked. Surely the idea of her and Neal together was sickening. They were family, if not bounded together by vows, then by blood. "I was afraid he might have spoke of me, of your mother, of this side of the family poorly." She shook her head quickly. "Prince Neal is a bit hot headed, but he knows a thing or two about family. He would never say anything bad about either side. You are his nephew's grandfather. He knows better than to speak poorly of you." Rumple smiled at his smart and brave daughter, and he wondered how he was ever so lucky to come to behold such a beautiful possession as she._

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><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

Even with how graceful he attempted to be, this guy was bloody awful, and she felt if she had to put up with his antics much longer that she might just through herself from the nearest window. How much longer until someone is to come to her aid and rescue her from this utterly painful torture? Just a moment more and she was going to snap, kick him in the groin and run, but she was a princess. She had to remember her manners. She had to remember all her father was doing for her. So she bit her tongue so harshly she drew her own blood and continued to gnaw at it.

"You are a marvelous dancer," the lad commented and Ellery flashed another fake smile. "That makes one of us." She let it slip before she could force herself to hold back. "I beg your pardon?" he spoke and she rolled her eyes. "You are way too out of beat to be considered a good dancer. Waltzing just ins't your style, sir. I'm sorry to have to tell you, but I'm rather shocked no one has." He looked overly offended, like someone had mistaken him for a girl instead of a boy. "Well, I never-"

"Excuse me," a familiar voice called out, "but may I cut in?" Ellery was overly happy to see her dear nephew come to her aid. The boy released Ellery from his grasp and bowed his head to Prince Henry. "Of course, Your Majesty." He left, and Henry took Ellery into his arms, leading her in a dance. Much better.

"Prince Martin of Eldridge. Quite the snobbish kind just because his kingdom is one of the richest," Henry explained. Ellery merely nodded and smiled a genuine smile. "Thank you, Henry. You saved me from embarrassing myself and many others should that chicken dance have continued." He laughed lightly at her comment, obviously knowing very well how horrid the prince was at his dancing skills. He shook it off and became serious, but not too serious, with the girl he swayed. "Anything for my aunt. Speaking of which, how's your father? I haven't seen him in nearly a year." She always got a bit shaky when her father was brought up into conversation. People had such different thoughts about him.

"He is descent, I guess," she admitted, truly not knowing how to describe her father to others. "Descent?" Henry questioned and she looked to her feet before back up at her nephew. "Well, him and mom are doing great, and he has been helping me with magic and such." He nodded and smiled, giving her that sharp look. The I've-known-him-longer-than-you type of look, and even though it was pretty pathetic that her own nephew knew more about her father than she did, she had to admit that he was correct. "I am not referring to his and Belle's relationship, though I am overjoyed that things between them are still holding strong. I am asking in regards with his relationship with society." Oh, here we go. A scary question that could send Ellery running for the hills. Her father and society really don't see eye to eye.

"You know how he is with society. He doesn't really like it," she explained. "Because of his looks?" Henry asked and Ellery shook her head. "More than just that. He is not exactly the most loved person in these lands. Many people still have it out for him." Henry chuckled truly once again. "Oh, believe me, Ellery, I know. So, he never ventures out, does he?" She grew depressed, knowing the answer to that all too well. "Not unless he has to," she confessed. Henry could see the disappointment pooling up in his young aunt's eyes, and grew to feel sorry for her. He thought he loved his grandfather, but this was her father. Even though he barely knew his, or so it would seem, he grew a rather found connection with Killian, and if that is what a family bound between a child and their father was suppose to feel like, then he could only imagine how badly Ellery must be hurting.

"He does everything for a reason, El. You know that, right?" She nodded and gave a slight sniffle. "I know, Henry. I do." And she did know, even before her little chat with her mother in the carriage. "You're not the only one who misses him, Ellery. I miss him, too. He is my grandfather, and back in Storybrooke we were so close. He even let me work in his pawnshop." She smiled, picturing a little Henry doing stocks and inventory inside her father's cluttered and rather packed pawnshop. How she wished times like that can go on in this life, but image is everything here. "He risked his life to save me, you know? Traced me all the way back to Neverland, a suicide mission, faced his father whom he hasn't scene in hundreds of years and eventually gave himself up for me as well as all the people of Storybrooke. The sad part is that nobody knows. You see, people tend to look at all the bad things someone does. They only focus on a person's mistakes, never the good deeds. But when someone does something so brave, so extraordinary, everyone is blind. I wish it wasn't so, but it is. Just know that my mother, my grandparents, your mother and even myself will never ever forget what he did that day. Giving up his own happily ever after for everyone else's. That was a true sacrifice. One I shall never forget."

She has never heard someone speak so highly of her father like that unless it was her mother. But hearing Henry say those words brought meaning into everything for her. Things were going to get better, but the biggest question was when. How much longer must she sit her with her father in the shadows, cloaking himself in darkness as to not embarrass her even though she saw there was no way he ever could? The question, she figured, would not be answered any time soon. So she sucked it up and nodded her head at him.

"Thank you, Henry, for your kind words. They mean a lot to me." Her nephew nodded and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Anything for my favorite aunt," he replied to which she giggled. "Please, I'm your only aunt." He winked at her as he spoke. "All the more reason for me to love you." Her smile shortly faded afterwards as the two continued their waltz, but once the music died Henry made the decision to whisper in her ear. "Come with me, I have something for you." Ellery looked up to him in confusion, but trusted him as she always had, and so followed him out of the ball room and away into the corridors of the palace.

She had explored the castle before on many fair occasions, but this would be the first she has ever been to Henry's quarters. She couldn't help, but to wonder what they would be like. Perhaps just a bit too much like Henry with comics covering it from head to toe, posters and pictures and other items he came back from Storybrooke with. Nevertheless, she followed him to his large golden doors where he gave a slight push, allowing entrance into his chambers.

He pulled her inside and dragged her to an overly large bookshelf in the far corner of the room. It was nowhere near as impressive as her mother's, but it was still something to behold. After all, mom does have a whole library to herself. A gift given to her by her husband so that way it wasn't only the library at their winter palace, the Dark Castle, that she had to rely on for her reading pleasures. Her mother's love for books was rather contagious, and had gotten Ellery into the spirit of reading thousands of books on nearly every subject. She had extended her knowledge from the basics to the far beyond.

Henry reached up to one of the top shelves and pulled out an old, dusty looking book. The leather was falling apart and everything, it appeared to be a hundred years old at least. But according to her nephew, it was just a bit younger than that. "This book," he began to explain as he examined its cover while reminiscing, "has gotten my through some tough times. It explained everything to me. My past, present, future and everything in between. It can tell you about anyone or anything, but above all, it gives you something that is sometimes very difficult to find, and that is hope. It gave me hope that one day, maybe just one day, the people would remember who they were, who they are and who they are suppose to be. From there, that everything would just, sort of, fall into place."

He looked to Ellery who was entranced by his choice of words, but ultimately confused as to why it was he was telling her all of these personal details. I mean, if what he said was true about the book, it would seem best fitting to keep such a precious relic of the past a secret from all except the ones who know about it, of course. But it's location should always remain hidden. Henry shook off his emotions as he knew what had to be done. He turned the book around so the title was facing her correctly and she was left to examine it.

"Once Upon a Time," she read out loud. Henry smiled and nodded when her eyes locked with his again. The resemblance between the two was scary. "Yeah," he shrugged and offered it to her. "I want you to hold onto it for me, just for a while. Until you believe you no longer need it." She kept her hands at her sides, shaking her head, not ready to take such an important object away from him. He was the only one who was nice to her besides Emma. "Oh, no, Henry. I couldn't. This book obviously means so much to you. And believe me, I know how important it must be to you. I mean, my parents are extra cautious around this silly little teacup that is damaged. It has a chip on one side and yet they worship it like it is priceless. If a broken trinket like that can mean the world to them, I could only imagine what this book means to you. You keep it. I'll be fine on my own." But Henry wouldn't take no for an answer, so he shoved the book towards her and continued to persuade her that taking the book was the only option she had. "Don't you want to know the story behind that silly little teacup? That trinket they hold so dear? This can tell you. It can tell you all about your parents's pasts, how the met and every moment after that in full detail. It will also tell you about your brother, all of your father's enemies and all the heroic actions your mother did. There are incredible tales in there, and the best part is they are not just fairytales-they are history...your history."

Ellery took the book with ease, careful not to bend the binding. She brushed her fingers over the golden letters that made up the title and couldn't help, but to gain a hint of a smile at her lips. So this, this was her guide to information about everything her parents weren't telling her? This old book filled with fairytales that supposedly held some truth within it? She looked up to Henry once more and questioned his motives. "Why? You know my parents keep secrets from me. That everyone keeps secrets from me. So, why would you go against family? Why would you give me answers?" He chuckled and shrugged. "I guess it's from your father's side since we both have it, and what 'it' is is over the top curiosity on the subjects that nobody wants to talk about. Most people just start with a question and accept the answer of silence. You and I, Ellery, we are smarter than that. We don't just settle for that lame excuse of any reason, but we rather question it more. Why don't they want to talk about? And, to be quite honest, keeping secrets from family is just as bad as exploiting them. So, I can't say I'm that guilty, now can I?"

"You don't really seem like the fight fire with fire type," she grinned and Henry draped his arm around her shoulders, escorting her back to the party. "Just promise me that you'll keep that safe and don't let anyone know you have it. I find that hiding things in plain sight is the best way to be sure things are kept hidden and untouched." She used her magic to whisk the book away into her bedchambers. It was stored safely in between two books-one on the History of the Ogre Wars and another entitled Potions and Spells: the Complete Beginners Guide. No reason to even look anywhere near those two books considering the fact that she had read both of them long before the age of nine. She now considered them simple dust collectors.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_"Your father tells me that your dancing lessons have been going extremely well," Belle smiled as she continued to comb her daughter's hair while the little one lost her senses in a book. "I'm getting better. He says I'm a natural. I think he's lying." Belle giggled at her young one's remark and continued to brush her hair all the same. "Why do you say that, Ellery?" she questioned and the little girl responded, but her nose was still buried in her book. "It felt a little strange to me. I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach him. Am I going to have to do that with every guy I meet?" Again, she could not contain her laughter, but Belle bit her lip in a small attempt to tame it. "No, darling. Not all people are as tall as your father, and you won't be this short forever." _

_"Someday I'll grow up," she said rather cheerfully. Belle was surprised when she felt her heart crack just a little bit at that statement. One day her little girl won't be so little anymore. "Yes, indeed you will, Ellery." Her daughter grew more and more excited as the information came pouring out of her mouth like rushing water. "And I'll be queen," she said, only allowing her mother a second to respond. "Yes, El." She wanted to say more, but Ellery cut her off. "And I'll fall in love and get married! And we'll have babies and live happily ever after." Oh no. Was now the right time to tell her? Now? But she was so young, so enthusiastic about her future, she didn't even bother to know the terrible troubles she may face. Oh, children are so filled with wonder and awe that they lose sight of problems and arrangements. No happy endings, but Belle couldn't let her daughter lose hope. If Ellery lost it, then it seems as though the entire world would grow bleak. _

_"Hold on, just a moment, Ellery," Belle stopped her from her ranting and even stopped combing her hair for a split second. Ellery could sense her mother's strain and lifted her eyes from her book, even though it was at the best part. The handsome prince had just rescued the beautiful princess from a monster, and they were confessing their love for each other. "What is it, mommy?" she asked in her innocent and sweet voice that stung Belle like a shot of poison whenever she had to tell her darling bad news or shoot her down from some la la cloud. "Ellery, you mustn't always rely on princes to provide you with happiness. You can't depend on anyone to make you happy. Happiness comes from your own imagination, your own will. Someone cannot make you happy, in fact, no one can make you happy except yourself. Now, sure there are others that can improve it, but it is up to you to choose it. To choose how you want your ending to be. Sometimes your happily ever after is with some man, but sometimes your happily ever after ends with you. I never want you to forget that, Ellery. It is very important." _

_The lost girl grew even more lost. She had often questioned why it was people always explained things to her in the most complicated of ways, then proceeding to tell her that she would understand when she was older. She didn't want to understand when she was older, she felt she couldn't wait that long. She wanted to understand now. She turned her head so she could face her mother and look her in the eyes. "But, mommy, hasn't father made you happy?" Belle gave a shy girl smile like she was in high school daydreaming about her crush. Though they did argue, _a lot_, they were absolutely crazy about each other. "Your father has made me the happiest woman alive, but before he came along...I was happy then, too. He increased my happiness by a great amount, not only because I feel so in love with him, but because the love I had for him and the love he had for me was so strong that it gave me the one thing I am so sure I could never live without." Ellery squinted her brows. If not her father, than what? "What did it give you, mommy?" she asked bluntly, and Belle cupped her daughter's face and stroked it with her thumbs. "You, of course. My darling, little Ellery. Born from nothing, but true love. Just remember what I told you today, Ellery. I know it seems confusing now, but you will-"_

_"Understand when I'm older," Ellery finished for her mother, who placed a kiss on her brow. "That's my girl." Belle turned her back around and continued to brush her hair, both sitting in silence for a moment, Ellery trying to get back to her book, but was lost in yet another question. So she shut the leather and paper with a snap and turned her attention to her mother once again. "Why did you marry, daddy?" she asked. Belle was taken a bit back, stunned by her daughter's seriousness in the question. "Excuse me?" _

_"Well, I mean, he is...you know and you are...well...you. I mean, the two of you don't match up. In the stories, the prince always rescues the princess from the monster, and he is dashing, bold and brave. He is handsome, too. Never, in any of my stories, does the beautiful princess, like yourself, fall for the hideous monster that is holding her captive." _

_Belle grew a bit enraged. Not at her daughter, but more of the culture that was being drugged into her daughter's head. The very idea that every beast was hideous and every hero was a handsome prince. She despised it. If there was a face to put on it, she would have surly punched it by now. "Well, I think it's best about time we got you some new books," Belle said before turning her daughter around to finish up her hair. She pouted a bit before asking her next question, disturbing her mother's peace at the nice silence. "You never answer any questions I ask about you and daddy." Belle sighed and tried to relax her tension. "Ellery, it is simply because too many people have too many mixed views when it comes to your father and our marriage. He has had a trying past and is attempting at making up for it. If you ask me, I would say he is doing a rather splendid job at it." Ellery rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "You have to say that, you're his wife." _

_"Ellery, please. We'll tell you all about us when you are older, and able to comprehend some rather difficult and delicate subjects such as your father and I." She stood up from the stool she was sitting on and turned to her mother, hands on her hips and in that stance, she had the whole globe at her mercy. "No, mom. You guys never tell me anything. Never told me how you met, never told me the adventures you have been on together, never told me about your wedding and you most defiantly never mention Baelfire. Is the past that bad that I can't even be a part of it?" Tears pricked at the young girl's eyes as all of these emotions began to overflow her all at once. Depression, anger, confusion, even ambition. She wanted to know more about her parents because the relationship between them was written down nowhere. Not in any philosophy book, not in any bedtime story, no fairytale or lure has ever showered her with the knowledge of how her parents could possibly be. How _she_ could possibly be. It doesn't make sense. It never made sense. _

_Belle looked at her calmly, no anger shinning in her eyes, but rather concern. Her daughter was too smart for her own good. Questions came too easily to her. But Bell knew what she had to do. She had to be a mother. So she stood up and cupped her daughter's face once again, brushing away her tears with the pads of her thumbs, and taking an overly large inhale through the nose. "Baelfire," she began, "was loved by all. Was someone who everyone grew to adore. He is worshiped as a hero and shall always be remembered as one. My biggest regret in life is not not being able to do something over, is not not doing something greater, is not not traveling the world sooner. My biggest regret _is_ not being able to stop your brother from sacrificing himself to save your father." _

_Ellery locked eyes with her mother and saw the truth lingering on within them. So, that is what happened to him? That is how he went? He saved daddy? More tears came dripping from her eyes, but these were different. These were silent. She did not want to make anyone noise, feeling her brother's spirit was in the room, within the walls and air, and if she listened closely enough, she would be able to hear his voice telling her that all of what her mother was saying was true. "Children always come first to me and your father. Baelfire gave his life for countless people, for his family, for your father. Despite all the bad that he has done, your brother could still see the light in your father. He knew what it would take to save everyone. He was willing to make that sacrifice. The question I need you to think about from this moment, until your last moment, my dear Ellery, is; how far are you willing to go to save the ones you love?"_

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><p><strong>We will be getting to the real juicy stuff in the next two chapters!<strong>


	3. Rumplestiltskin

** Don't forget to spread the word and check out my other story, Trickster which will have its next chapter up soon.**

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><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Sweep. Sweep. Sweep._

_That's all she ever seems to do. She keeps on sweeping, till all the straw has been pushed away. Till the dust has scattered. Till the floor was somewhat clear. She would daydream, however. Drift off into a better place where she could dance in lights and shine so ever pure and true. She just had to keep on sweeping, though. Sweeping wouldn't get her there, but it would keep her baby alive. _

_Sweep. Sweep. Sweep._

_How many hours? She did not know. Her hands began to blister and a few splinters were embedded in her palms from how long she has been sweeping, clutching the wooden end of the broom. She had grown to ignore them, her calluses begged to differ. They have grown greatly, nearly over riding her hands and feet. Her shoes were merely padded socks with holes and patches forming around the bottom to keep them secure. This was no way to live._

_Sweep. Sweep. Sweep._

_Her blond hair draped into her eyes, still bits of straw tangled within the knotty mess, and sweat covering her brow. She wiped some away with the back of her hand, but it was never that easy and her master only allowed her to bathe once every week. She had already taken this week's worth, or did she? She couldn't remember. Her memory was vague. Just escape was clear and present._

_Sweep. Sweep. Sweep. Stop._

_Someone was here. She could feel their presence within the atmosphere. Someone was watching her work. It couldn't have been her master. He never watches her work. He simply inspects once her tasks have been completed. Who was here? Who was watching? Whoever it was, after some long, agonizing five minutes of feeling like a deer being hunted, they spoke._

_"Well, don't stop on my account, dearie," they said, and she turned quickly from where she stood, facing the opposite direction to catch a glimpse at the mysterious speaker. A rather ugly looking fellow. _

_Wild hair, like he has been living on the streets or stuck having the poor life himself. Rather large eyes that seemed able to dig into a person's soul, looking well beyond their deepest, darkest fears, but rather at what could kill them with a single glance. He smiled, showing her his teeth. Rotten and out of line, some crossing the others, some not even present. His teeth were worse than brown, they were black. Crusted with darkness and what she may even believe to be human flesh. How horrid. His skin, ugh! Scaly and green, shimmering slightly like fish scales. What an ugly looking creature._

_"Wh-what are you?" she stuttered towards the man sitting upon her master's wooden fence. He would not be too pleased if he saw that. His grin fell to a mark of annoyance. "How rude. You do not ask someone 'what' they are, rather 'who' they are." She had forgotten her manners so quickly. Manners, as her master had taught her, was the most important thing in the world. _

_She bowed her head slightly, giving a bit of a dip at the knees to show just how sorry she was. "My apologies, good...um...sir. I seemed to have bit my tongue. I am Gretchen, and you may be?" He seemed pleased with her new form of attitude, hopping off the fence and landing gracefully on his feet. He gave her a bow in return as if he was overly proud of himself and who he was, but she noticed he did not flash his face when he spoke his name. "Rumplestiltskin," he spoke with a roll of the R. He then picked himself up and held his posture proudly. "And, do you always apologize, Gretchen?" he questioned. She looked at her feet and then back up at him, hoping the floor contained the answer he seeked, but there was no look for her vision. _

_"I'm sorry, I must have b-"_

_"There you go again, apologizing. Why do you apologize so much, dearie?" She has never been asked such things before. Why did she always apologize? Because according to her master, she was always in the wrong. "I did not mean to offend, Rumplestiltskin. I am just curious as to why you would ask me such a question." He shrugged. "Obviously you have never been asked it before or perhaps it is so normal to everyone around you that they grow no interest in knowing the reason behind it so long as you continue to do it." Made sense._

_"I am a servant to the rich man, Lord Heins," she explained, but that seemed to make no difference to him. "Is he really a Lord or simply just richer than everyone else?" She had no answer to his question once again, and now he started to circle her. A predator stalking his prey, just trying to decipher where he was going to stick his claws in first. Where was the best place to strike? _

_"I have heard your wishes, dearie. Your talks to your son at night. How you desire to gain magic to help people. To get a better life for you and your son. To escape this place and gain your own happily ever after." How did he know such things? She could only take a guess about who he was, and that guess was spot on. The Dark One. He picked up a loose piece of blond hair that covered her ear, holding it in between two fingers as he whispered into her ear. "I can offer you that escape." Her spirits picked up within her, dancing in little circles like the world's best ballerinas. Spinning across the stage on the very tips of their toes, at their highest point ever. "You can do that? You would do that for me?" she questioned as he released that stray piece of hair from the rest that was tied back. _

_He gained some distance between himself and her, allowing her a moment to process or perhaps to get confused by his statement. "I can give you powers, dearie," he spoke with no emotion, not even facing her. "Powers beyond your wildest dreams, but you must give me something in return." Powers? Real powers? She would give him whatever he so desired for such a gift, such a treasure. _

_She let her grasp on the broom be released, it clattering to the floor by her sudden reluctance to hold it any longer. It felt good for her fingers to be released from their tough curl around such a slender wooden pole. Free to move, free to have blood properly flowing throughout them. "Anything," she spoke faster than she could think. "Anything you want is your's, what is it you desire? Even though I have very little to give." He turned back around, that silly grin reappearing back across his face, making her shiver a bit inside. He gave his wrist a flick and out from it came an extended piece of paper. A scroll of some sort. Gretchen did not know how to read. _

_"It is written in black and white," he spoke in almost a hiss of a tone. Gretchen shrugged her shoulders while shaking her head. "I can't read. I was never taught," she admitted. He pulled a quill out of thin air, holding it in between two fingers as he approached her. "Contracts are just a way to prove that the deal we made is binding. What I want from you, Gretchen, is something you have to be willing to trade in order for such a deal to be made." She prepared herself for whatever it may be. Her voice, her hair, maybe even her eyes? No, he wouldn't take such worthless things, would he? "My price," he whispered, "is your first born." _

_What? Todd? He wanted Todd? What would he want with Todd? "You want my son? Todd?" He shrugged. "You asked for something, I ask for something in return. I can give you this magic that you so seek, this grand possession that you wish to call your own, but in return I am going to have to ask for a grand possession of your own. Magic always comes at a price. This is yours." _

_"I don't understand," she tried her best not to stutter. "Why would you want my son?" she asked. "What does it matter?" was his response. "You want magic, I never asked why. I just said I could give it to you, just like you can give me your son." _

_"Well, I am assuming you know the answer as to why I want magic. I think I deserve to know why you want my son." _

_"The question here, dearie, is something you must answer. What is more important to you; Your son..." he extended the contract out to her. "Or your freedom?"_

_She bit her bottom lip harshly, looking at all the signs. Was this a good deal? She didn't know. She never made one before in her life, and how important was Todd to her? He really did not do much. He sucked up her hard earn pay, took her bath days sometimes, and even complained his stomach hurt from the lack of food. Was he worth taking care of? Was he worth more to her than magic? _

_She snatched the quill from his hand. He spun around, placing the contract on his back, allowing her a steady surface to sign on. She hastily signed her name on the dotted line, leaving no trace of remorse behind. He sent the contract and quill away as he faced her, seemingly displeased, yet somewhat relieved she made the decision she chose. "Make good choices," he bid her as he flashed away, taking Todd with him._

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

She walked unsteadily and unfocused out into the dance floor as Henry was greeted by more guest. She hadn't even realized the two of them had separated. She was just so lost in her own thoughts, her personal views of anything and everything that was going on around her. Her father, her mother, her nephew, her nearly a sister, her dead half brother. All these relatives and their backstories made her head do a cartwheel, unable to comprehend how all of these people could even stand to be in the same room together. Could be in one happy environment without having the urge to slit each other's throats, or at least not act out upon that urge.

Should she even read the book?

It would be such a slap in the face to her parents. They weren't telling her anything. She only knew the basics. Okay, so telling her why her father stayed inside all the time, how he became the Dark One and all was rather interesting facts that Ellery truly did appreciate their open honesty with those rather delicate subjects, but she felt she deserved more than that. She was going to be sixteen in a matter of days. She thought she was more than eligible to hear more.

Stuck in her decision making, Ellery was paying no attention and so had no awareness that the man beside her was going to give the biggest bow in the world, knocking into her with his rather large bum and sending her sideways across the floor. She slammed into another person, and everyone just went down like a set of dominos. One right after the other. Some landed on their stomachs, some on their backs, others on their behinds. She covered her mouth with her hands and rushed to the aid of the first person she spotted on the floor- Snow White.

She picked up her dress and did her best to run in the heels, but was so unsteady in them that she could not maintain her own balance. She skidded on her knees once she had reached the fallen queen, but tried ever so desperately to compose herself. "Oh, Your Majesty, I am so sorry. I really am. I did not mean to...oh gosh." But Snow merely chuckled as Ellery offered her her hand. "El, it's fine. Really. Not a big fuss." But she could feel her fifteen year old cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "Yes, it is. I knocked over the queen. I'm sorry." But Snow was too busy chuckling at her own clumsiness to be too mad at the girl who helped her up.

"This is no funny business," Ellery said and looked around to see the mess she made. Broken glass from refreshments on the floor as well as spilled over platters of food and unserved finger sandwiches all whisked about in a un-orderly fashion. She watched as the servants came racing over to help clean up the fuss, but Ellery felt her responsibilities urge sink in as she knew she was most likely the main reason all of this was happening.

"No, no," she waved her hands and released Snow's to get to the mess, sending the queen falling back down without Ellery's attention. "Please, let me get it," she said and attempted to use her magic. She forcibly moved her hands from the floor to the table in an unsuccessful attempt of returning the food to its rightful place. However, she must have been trying too hard as her magic went out of control, sending the broken glass, spilled drinks and well over the five-second-rule food across the room like a giant hand commenced a food fight. Everyone took cover, getting low to the floor with their hands over their heads as the mixture of mess flew into the far wall and proceeded in the act of knocking over some candles, illuminating the drapes.

Her eyes widened in horror as the drapes exploded into a blast of furry filled flames, rising above into the air. People screamed in fear as the sparks only sprinted into a more wild and crazy dance as Ellery tried to control them, only making them worse. "No. No. No," she whined to herself, trying to maintain her balance like her father had taught her, but the only moment she could focus on was the one she was stuck in.

"Ellery, stop!" Snow called from the floor that she still rested on due to Ellery's lack of focus on just one subject matter at hand. "Oh, Queen Snow!" she shouted and stopped working on her magic, allowing the flames to grow even brighter and spread to more curtains. "I am so sorry," she said as she attempted to help Snow to her feet, only knocking over the person behind her. "Oh, sir, my bad. Here, let me help you."

"The fire!" someone shouted and Ellery tried once more to focus while helping random people to their feet, only to knock over another. Her point of the fingers did not go so well for the drapes's blaze only grew stronger and more intense.

"Put it out! Put it out!" people screamed as Ellery went about, trying to handle everything at once and failing at it miserably. She tried to use the punch to possibly stop the blaze, pointing to the bowl and then at the curtains, but she had no idea the sweet treat was spiked with the highly flammable content of alcohol. The flames only grew brighter. People ran and slipped, screamed and cried.

"Ellery!" she could hear Henry shout, and saw Belle and Emma race into the room of disasters. Belle's blue eyes glowed with the blaze as Emma raced off to help her mother and son gain control of the situation. Her daughter did this? Belle wanted to face palm herself, but fought the urge knowing that the punishment Ellery was going to face was going to be far worse than the events that was taking place now.

As she raced about, helping people up and knocking them over, another person's presence entered the smoke and catastrophe filled room. Suddenly and rather abruptly, the flames died down and the chaos calmed. The mess still laid about, but at least no more lives were at stake. All eyes shifted to the person in the doorway, standing with her palm raised and eyes tame. To think she would be the one to save them from such a horrified event. Regina rested her hand and looked to Ellery emotionlessly.

Then all the eyes followed. Everyone's. Emma's, Charming's, Henry's, Snow's, the random party guests's, and even her mother's. She was stuck in the spotlight of some one person show of ignorance and misery. Here she was as the leading lady. She was so frozen, so stuck in the moment that not even the tears could fall from her eyes and only her rapid breathing was the sound heard until the whispers began.

"She is a menace."

"Such a klutz."

"She doesn't belong here."

"She doesn't belong anywhere."

"How could Belle give birth to _her_?"

"How could she have been born?"

"How could Belle do such a thing with such a beast?"

"She should have never been born."

"_She is just as dark as her father."_

That one hit her in the gut. It was harder than any punch in the face, steeper than any incline, more sour than any bitter taste, and more depressing than a broken heart. No one wanted her. No one would ever accept her...just like they never accepted her father. They didn't know. They would never know.

Silent tears leaked from her eyes, making them pink and puffy, streaming down her cheeks as little rivers of her sorrows. Her hair had slightly fallen out and her dress was stained with the destruction she has caused. A lump in her throat had made breathing a task more difficult than it should be and her heart swelled up like a sore in such pain being rubbed with salt. Every eye that rested upon her was an eye of hate. She looked to her mother who was on the verge of tears herself, but unable to say a word. Emma breathed harshly as she held her mother close, Killian beside her and Charming next to his wife. Henry and Neal looked on and she was sure that her nephew was rejecting helping her just moments ago.

The last person she looked to was Regina. The only one who looked at her without disgust, without anger, without anything except warm eyes. Comforting eyes. Sparkles within them that she saw in no one else.

"Ellery," she heard her mother whisper, but the young girl had had enough. She slipped her feet out of her shoes and picked up her dress. She backed away just about before racing off into a full bolt, covering her mouth with one hand and hauling her dress with the other as tears leaked from her eyes without a second's delay.

Belle went to chase after her daughter, but was stopped by Regina, holding her arm out and blocking the young mother from reaching her overly depressed and broken daughter. "Don't, Belle," she said and the two locked eyes. "Regina, she's my daughter."

"Who is nothing like you. She holds your beauty and kindness, Belle, but that's about it. She is mostly like her father...and so lost. She is scared and confused. I may not know him better than you, but I have known him longer and he was my magic instructor for years. I know a little bit more about his powers than you do." Belle could not deny a single word she said, and looked out to where her daughter had disappeared to. Regina and Belle were not the best of friends, but recently they have been on good terms. "Let me talk to her." That caused Belle's head to snap in Regina's direction, nearly slapping herself in the face with her own curls as she did so. "You are adored wherever you are, always have been. Rumple never was and neither was I. She can get all the pep talks in the world from her father, but never her mother. She needs a woman's words to help her. Not a man's." Reluctant, but desperate, Belle took in a deep breath and thought about the look on her daughter's face before she ran away to be alone in her sorrows and own self doubt. "Be gentle to her, please," Belle finally spoke. Regina nodded and patted the sweet Belle on the shoulder before following the path the young princess once took to get away from the hateful eyes and fallen faces. The same eyes Regina had been dealing with nearly her whole life.

Ellery had to escape their hateful gazes and jeering whispers. So she ran into the garden, where she knew no one would follow her. Her hair had completely fallen out from its bun and now rested on her shoulders. Her makeup was running down her face as the tears fell from her eyes, making dark streaks cross over her face. Her feet were filthy from running through the dirt bare, and her heart was damaged. She had no idea how to control her powers. Was there even a way?

She could sense a sudden disturbance about her, another one there with her-just watching her as she cried. "Can you please just leave me alone, and not make me feel worse about myself for five minutes?" she asked to whoever it was that was standing beside her as she sobbed on the floor underneath a willow tree. She had a few guesses on who it could be; her mother, Henry, Emma, perhaps even Neal. She would have never guessed it was Regina that stood beside her in an attempt to comfort her. "Me? Make you feel worse about yourself? Trust me, El, you do that just by breathing. I don't need to be enforcing anything. People are going to hate you and make you feel horrible no matter what you do." She took a seat beside the weeping child who chuckled slightly at her words. "Thanks for the encouragement, Regina, but I think I'll survive without it."

"I'm just being honest with you, which is the exact opposite of how your parents seem to be." She did have somewhat of a point. "They don't lie. They just don't tell me everything," Ellery mumbled as she wiped away some of her tears with her fingers in an attempt to make herself seem like she was not crying as hard as she was. ""I suppose you are going to tell me some super secret that my parents would never share?" Regina shook her head, waving off the child's question, but no doubt, a request. "Oh, no, dear. There is no point in me going against your parents. We have had our bumpy parts during our road in the past, but there has been some good times as well. At least, before your parents met, that is. Your father and I were not always at war with each other."

"He taught you magic." Ellery already knew that. That much was given due to Regina's similar tactics in her magic as her father's. She figured as much.

"Yes, he did. All for me to enact his curse-"

"To get to a world without magic. To get to Bae."

"Look, El, I take pity on you. I know what it's like to feel like you are not wanted anywhere you go. Like people only expect the worse from you. That _is_ all they expect." Ellery looked up at Regina who kept her gaze straight ahead. "They only expect you to do bad things because of the dark magic that is within you. Because of who your father is."

"You'd think who my mother is would matter," Ellery mumbled and looked to her feet, not knowing that Regina's eyes had shifted to her. "It doesn't matter. It never does. That little bit of good in you, that piece of hope that you will change, no one pays attention to that. To them, it doesn't exist. You are only your father's darkness. Nothing else."

This little talk was not helping at all, but then again, was it suppose to? Regina was never really one for words of inspiration, but she did know a lot on the subject of being rejected and not truly welcomed anywhere. Perhaps this wasn't suppose to be a talk to help her believe that things were going to get better. Perhaps this was the talk, telling her that this was reality and something like this is not ever going to change unless you make this great change. Unless she makes people believe that she is not as dark as everyone thinks she is.

"So, this isolation...this hate is never going to disappear?" she asked just to make sure she understood what Regina was saying. The woman, still dressed in black despite everything she has been through, shrugged. She locked eyes with Ellery and felt the little girl's pain. She knew all too well the feeling this poor child was going through. The sad part was, her heart was still pure. She did not make herself evil, she did not change her title. People had stamped her with this curse for their own dislike for her father. It wasn't fair. Regina draped her arm around Ellery's shoulders, pulling her close to her and patting her head with a gentle hand. "I know it is not fair to you, Ellery, but that is how the world works, unfortunately. Don't worry though, sweet Ellery, you still have me. I'm not going to judge you because I understand what you are going through. I understand it better than anyone. I'm probably the only one that ever will."

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Pull! _

_She must if she is going to please her master. If she is going to be spared the beating of her father's words of what a failure she is. To escape this poor life that she was forced to call her own. She had to pull this cart of wool back to their small farm, their tiny shack that they considered home. She had to pull, and yet she struggled to._

_Sweet dripped from her brow and her hair clung to her face like bloodsucking leeches. Just a few more miles and she would be home. Miles? Yes, miles. Just how many more, she could not count, but even one would be too many. Her feet were beginning to blister and puss seeped out of her already cracking heels. She wanted to rest, but she could not stop now. Not when she was so close. Just a little further. _

_So she pushed on, or rather pulled on, trying to ignore the steady rays illuminating from the sun, making the heat rise even higher, burning her to some extent. Her back ached and her spine felt like it was one big knot twisted in all different directions. Walking became a chore that no one should be used to in such a way. She collapsed onto her bum, unable to haul the cart any further._

_She thought about what it would be like once she got home, once she reached her wooden hut only made from boards. What could they possibly be having for dinner tonight? Bread? Soup? Nothing fancy. No meat, no vegetables. Those all went to the market to try and sell to make some money to get whatever scraps they could get together for what they needed to survive. It stung-her life. She hated it and it hurt more than she could imagine it ever could. She let a tear fall from her eye. She wept. _

_"Oh dear child, please don't cry," a whisper spoke into her ear. She looked around and so no one near her, no one in sight. Who could have spoken? Maybe she only heard the wind and she thought someone was reaching out to her. However, she soon heard the voice again. "Up here, my darling," the voice said and the girl shot her head up to the woman sitting in her cart. _

_"That is an abundance in wool, don't you think?" the woman asked as the girl scampered to her feet. "Who are you?" she asked in fear, slightly worried that this woman may try to harm her or perhaps steal the cart. How far was she going to go with this heavy cart of wool? Why would she desire it? "No need to fear me, sweet child. I am only here to help. My name is Gretchen and I have come to you by the sound of your fallen tears." The blond haired beauty made it down the side of the cart, landing swiftly onto her feet. _

_"Are you, like a fairy?" the child asked Gretchen chuckled. "Not particularly, no. I consider myself more of an enchantress, if you will. I have come into a great amount of magic, and I am here to offer you my assistance with a rather serious problem." The girl examined this 'enchantress' from head to toe, trying to decipher why she was wearing the clothes she was wearing if she was so magical. "Why are you dressed in rags if you are an enchantress?" the girl asked. Gretchen leaned forward and smiled. "To blend in at the market place," she winked and with a whisk of her wrist, her old rags transformed into a stunning green attire. A slim dress that complimented her figure, showing off her bountiful curves and her hair fell delicately to her shoulders in large waves of volume. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds and she contained the best smile the girl had ever seen. _

_"You are an enchantress, and you're here to help me?" the girl questioned with excitement. Gretchen nodded and smiled with the same joy as the child. "That's right, my dear. I will help you." The little one jumped up and down with joy and glee, ready for the magic to take control of her, for her life to improve now that she has been given this wonderful wielder of magic. "Can you turn my house into a palace, give me ball gowns, gold, jewels-"_

_"Woah, slow down, child. There is some matter discussion that obviously needs to take place first. I can't give you all that stuff. It would not be fair to those who already have it or desire it just as much as you do. However, I will help you. Trust me." The child's happiness seemed to fade in those few statements. Gretchen could see that it was every little girl's dream to become a princess and she would be able to remember the day clearly when a little girl who was born into royalty would despise it. That has not happened yet. "Tell you what, you will never have to pull this cart again," Gretchen continued. "I will grant your family a horse to pull it for you, and, for your troubles of the day, I am going to give you this." Gretchen handed the girl a silver coin with a fairy engraved on one side and the symbol of magic on the other. "Keep that close and you know someone will always be looking out for you," Gretchen told her. "Enjoy your new horse." _

_With a flicker of green light, Gretchen had vanished and attached to the cart was a tall and sturdy brown stallion, ready to pull away at the heavy cart. She tucked the coin away in her dress pocket and grabbed ahold of the horse's reins, pulling the stallion forward, nearly skipping as she did so._

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

Back on the roof to count the stars as they twinkled and shinned, not having looked to her father once she got home and the carriage ride back between her and her mother in total and utter complete silence. No words were meant to be spoken because, in truth, there were no words the other could think to say. Things were difficult. Time was difficult. Ellery was difficult. Nevertheless, she found some peace and comfort in this place-where time seemed to stand still and she had millions and billions of friends who listened to her no matter what she had to say, and the best part was they could not talk back.

She kept thinking about what Regina had said, about her always being seen as dark. She began to question her purpose, her powers and even her life. She resented the fact that when she was conceived her father was still under that curse, passing his powers onto her. She didn't want them. She couldn't control them. Was it at all possible for her to just get rid of them? She would have given anything to be like any normal person. To live in the front lands like Bae once did, to be ordinary, to hold no magical abilities like so many she knew did not. She didn't even want to be a princess, though it was clear that she would not survive that long outside of the palace. Everything was handed to her and that was just the way she liked it. She had no idea just how much work being like everyone else required, and that she was simply not cut out for the job.

"How many did you count?" he asked and she sighed. "I gave up counting a long time ago. Now I just sit and stare." He took a seat beside her, looking up at the same sky she gazed upon, the same diamonds that gave off their beautiful light. "1,036 glasses, two days worth of food, 28 injuries and climbing, and two ruined sets of curtains." He had been keeping track. "And you dropped the cake." Good track, too. "I am trying to forget it," she said, bringing her knees closer into her chest. "That's what spinning is for, not staring off into space. That party disaster is not the only thing on your mind, so what else is? What else is bothering you?"

She did not know how the two subjects were linked together, but when she thought of the birthday celebration that she had ruined, she thought of her own that was coming up soon. Her sixteenth birthday. The birthday were her arranged marriage was officially beginning. The day she would be forced to dance with every eligible prince or lord and forced to pick one amongst the many that would be there. She had to dance, talk, eat and laugh with all of them. If she messed up this birthday that badly, she could only imagine how her own was going to go.

"I want what any girl wants. To live happily ever after," she said, not even facing him, but she knew the expression he wore. One that would appear to be annoyance to anyone else when, in fact, all it was was the greatest amount of concern for his daughter. "I know, Ellery. I know. But you know the Law. It is not mine or your mother's doing. It's Parliament's." She had heard this excuse so many times before, she did not want to keep hearing it again. Her parent's were like broken records. "I know, daddy, but just for once I would like to hear something different other than 'Your mother and I are doing everything we can to get you out of this.' I want to see some action. Something happen. You can't even delay this damn thing. I want no part in it."

He sighed, unsure of what to do or how to speak. Bae was never this difficult, but perhaps for certain reasons. After all, Bae was no princess being forced to undergo an arranged marriage. Raising a girl was very different from raising a boy. "I know it is hard to see the progress we made with this, El, but you just have to trust me."

"You are the Dark One. I am pretty sure you can do something about this. Threaten them. Use some evil spell on them. Brainwash them. Or even threaten to turn their wives and children into flies. Just get me out of this marriage." She was becoming desperate.

"Sweetheart, I can't do that and you know I can't. I can never go back to my old ways. It cost me your brother, it nearly cost me your mother, I don't want to lose you, too." His voice cracked, he was going to cry. Her father sobbing always made her weak. "Just give me some time, El. That is all I need."

She wasn't going to back down just because her father was becoming emotional because of the man he once was. She wasn't going to give in. "I am running out of time, dad. I'll be sixteen in nearly a week. I only have two more years after that and it took you nearly sixteen years to get barely anywhere. I don't need time and trust. I need results. I don't want to marry some man just because I am forced to."

"Your mother did not wish to go with me, but she did it for good reason," he explained.

"What?"

Uh-oh. He let something slip. He bit his tongue harshly and looked away from her, hoping she would not read his expression.

"Your marriage to mom was arranged?"

"Not exactly," he muttered under his breath.

"You two were _arranged_? But I thought you said you came from nothing. Why would grandfather marry Belle off to some spinner?" She was growing angrier, her voice raising.

"Ellery, please, lower your voice," her father tried to sooth the wound he had opened, but Ellery was not backing down. Both had darkness running within them. He had learned to control it, Ellery had no say in what it chose to do and what it didn't choose to do. It was showing. She was changing.

"No! You guys never tell me anything! Nothing!" She stood up, and her usually curly hair filled with volume and color began to grow just flat out crazy, sprouting in all different directions and even some gray forming within it. "All you guys ever do is tell me what to do and what not to do," she went on as she began to pace, her pajama pants flapping as a gust of wind came, pushing back her hair...showing her father her eyes.

"Ellery, please, calm down," he begged, standing up and trying to calm her. Attempting to place his hands on her shoulders, but she swatted them away.

"No! You try to make me be like mom! To be like you! To be kind and gentle and put everybody before myself! To make sure everyone except me is happy! Because it is my duty to my kingdom, to my people, to _everyone!_ And yet, no one wants me to help! No one wants me around! No one wants me! No one loves me! They all hate me! Calling me dark! Calling me evil! They tag me like they know me! They judge me before the know me! They don't give a damn about me, so why should I help them?"

Her nails grew several inches, blackening as they went. Her teeth sharpened to a harsh point, making her gums bleed just a hint. They thickened, yellowed and cracked. Some crossed each other, some twisted in unnatural directions. Her green eyes transformed themselves. From their normal forest green to a New York City color green, expanding, filling up nearly her entire eyeball.

"Ellery, listen to me," he begged, still making his unsuccessful attempts at calming his daughter. Where was Belle when he needed her. Surly she would have been able to sooth her with just a few words. Belle always knew the right things to say. This has happened several times before, but Belle always managed to stop the progression before Ellery could even notice the transformation was taking place. Now, it seemed too far along to stop, and yet, he still tried.

"I don't want to be like you and mom if no one wants me to be like you and mom! I will never be like you!" she growled, fire burning ablaze.

"Ellery, stop!" He shouted as loud as he could, but it didn't seem to be enough.

"I'd rather _die_ than be like you!"

She punched him. Right square in the nose. She got a good sock at him, too. POW! His head turned all the way to his right, as if he was looking over his shoulder. His nose was actually dripping just a small stream of blood from one nostril. He looked to his daughter, who had rage built onto her face, breathing harshly.

But then she was him. She saw what she had done, the burn in her knuckles all too real, her father's nose...broken. He placed his hand upon it, cracking it back into place with his magic, fixing it in a second, the blood no longer there. Her eyes grew wide with her own astonishment. Did she really just punch her father? Physically hurt her father? On purpose? She had never lost such control like that before. She never was so violent. The strangest thing about the whole encounter was her father did not seem made nor did he appear to be hurt. He appeared to be over the top nervous. Like the biggest secret to have ever been kept hidden from her was finally revealed. "Ellery," he whispered, and she felt it. The change. She looked down.

The sight made her want to scream, made her not believe her own eyes. Her pale fair skin was gone. Replaced by, what seemed to be, a gray scaly coat of something that looked like the sheddings of a lizard. Her nails were several inches long and as dark as the magic within her. She was confused, unable to comprehend how such changes were happening to her.

She ran.

She ran down the stone steps, tripping and tumbling down the last few, but that was the strange thing. She felt no pain. Not a single ounce of it. So, she just picked herself up and ran off, past the hundreds of doors in the castle, down the golden corridors, tears gliding across her face because of how fast she was running. She never ran this fast before. Everything seemed to be out of shape and out of line. The halls spinning, the pictures's eyes following her every move, the lights dimming then glowing too bright for her eyes. She shielded them with her hands for just a moment as she raced towards the only mirror she knew for sure was open.

She didn't even have to push open her chamber doors, they opened on their own, allowing her entrance to her one sanctuary. "Ellery," she could hear her father's voice calling out to her, a large blanket falling over her mirror before she could even have a look at it. Some force shut the large doors, obstructing the path into her room. She tugged harshly on the blanket, just as hard as Belle had tugged on the drapes once before, and because of how hard she pulled she fell on her bottom. The blanket fell on top of her, plummeting her into darkness. Ellery pushed the blanket off of her, scrambling with both arms and legs to get it off, just to look in the damn mirror. The blanket was nearly thrown halfway across the room as Ellery scrambled to her feet.

She forced herself up and her whole body shook with shivers by the cold hands of fear gripping at her, pulling her down into someplace cold, where no one has ever escaped. She touched her face, feeling to see if such a face was real, gripping her hair, clawing at her own skin, making her face ooze with the red thick liquid within her that was her blood. Her claws, no longer nails, damaging their own flesh, but it did not look like flesh at all. So this is what darkness did to those with even good intentions, with true hearts? This was how ugly temptation and corruption could make you be? This beastly?

She let out a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_It felt good to help people, and Gretchen rather enjoyed it. She went about from day in and day out solving people's problems by granting them just the simple things. All she required in return was a thank you and then she would whisk herself away with a cloud of green smoke, watching the no longer troubled souls go about the rest of their day more happily. She smiled to herself and her kindness, proving to everyone that absolute power did not corrupt those with kind hearts and pure souls. She believed she was one of those, and her good deeds seemed to be more than enough proof. _

_Today, however, was a day of peace. Relaxing in an apple tree and picking off some of the sweetest fruit she has ever tasted. With one arm draped behind her head, acting as a pillow, and her legs crossed, she bit into the juicy, sweet fruit, savoring the great bite she took from it. This was calming, just herself and this fresh breeze that rolled on by. Oh, how wonderful it all was to her. This was more than she could have asked for. Just a little trade made and now she was quite possibly the happiest woman alive. She did miss Todd from time to time, but it was not something she could not do without._

_"You are very gentle with your powers," spoke a tiny and rather frail voice. "How ever did you come to acquire them?" Gretchen looked over and spotted a tiny fairy dressed in blue fluttering next to her. She smiled, swallowing the chuck of apple she had in her mouth. "Well, they were sort of a gift, really," she tried her best to explain. "I see," said the blue fairy, not sure what to make of that tale. "What possesses you to be so kind?" she asked next and Gretchen became more attentive in the question and answer portion of this conversation. "Well, I know what it is like to live with not much. Not much, at all. I don't think anyone should have to suffer through it. It just doesn't seem right." _

_The blue fairy smiled at Gretchen's response, debating secretly if doing what she was planning on doing was the right course of action. "How about another gift for you, my dear? What is your name?" _

_"Gretchen." _

_"Gretchen, how would you like to become a fairy?" This was big. Huge. Gretchen sat up straight and tall, gripping the edge of the branch in which she sat on. "Are you serious?" she asked the blue fairy, unable to truly be sure that this request was being made. "One hundred percent. You are very handy with your powers, Gretchen. Not a lot of people are. It would be nice to have another one like you in these forests." This got her mind, just slightly, a bit slanted. "I'm sorry, I am confused. Another one? How many are there?" _

_The blue fairy gave a little giggle before explaining herself. "Dear Gretchen, I meant would you like to become a fairy godmother? You would be summoned by the tears of those who are in need of your help. You will be able to grant them wishes and be appointed your very own set of wings and magic wand. What do you say?" _

_A fairy godmother? Not just some ordinary fairy, but one with a much more greater purpose in her own opinion. A fairy godmother! Something she always desired, but never could receive. She would want nothing more. _

_"Yes, I'll do it! A thousand times, yes! I would love to!" The excitement grew within her like a young child on their birthday, just anticipating the cake and presents. This was a dream come true. Trading Todd defiantly became worth it all._

_The blue fairy smiled and with a single wave of her wand, Gretchen found herself with her feet on the ground and a set of wings attached to her back. Her dress been covered in a sparkle design, making her look like a queen. Her blond hair was separated into layers by a single ponytail, and glitter covered the tops of her eyelids, bringing out the true beauty in her face. She looked down to her hand and resting within her palm was a solid wand. A slim silver wand that shimmered in the light, proving that magic rested within it. Pure magic. Power to her seemed to be ten times stronger, and she was loving every minute of it. _

_"There," the blue fairy smiled at her own crafty work. "You're ready." Gretchen gave herself a little twirl, trying to admire herself from all angles, but it was just too hard to capture every detail. Every time she looked, there was another new thing about her that was oh so surprising. This was so great. "Now, don't forget, Gretchen, that your job is to help all of those who are in need of it. The saddest souls. The most desperate. You must vow to only protect and to do good with your magic. Do you understand?" _

_Gretchen nodded enthusiastically as she gripped her wand tighter and fluttered her wings just a bit. "Yes, I understand and I vow to do as such." She was not at all nervous of her duties, but rather overly proud and anxious. She just couldn't wait to get started. _

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for now. Don't forget to check out my other story, Trickster and to spread the word. Thanks again.<strong>


	4. Once Upon a Time

**Alright, I am very happy with how fast those reviews and follows and favs popped up. I woke up this morning and checked my email with the biggest smile on my face. You guys are great, and now I am going to address the reviews. First, Hook won't be in the story all that much. I don't like him either. I personally feel that Emma and Bae were like made for each other. Second, I did base Ellery off of Merida. Turns out, me and my friend were watching Brave when she came up with the idea (for obvious reasons lol), and don't worry, Ellery will show her bratty side very soon. And lastly, Regina does not get a whole lot involved, she is mostly just someone Ellery goes to for advice because she feels her dark magic could somehow be affecting her and she doesn't want to talk to her father about everything because...well...her father is a guy and Belle doesn't have magic to begin with. Belle also becomes SUPER important as we get more and more into the story. She'll have her moments. As for Gretchen...well that's a surprise my dear readers. That is a great surprise. Hope you enjoy and thank you for your support. Don't forget to spread the word, check out Trickster (next chapter will be there this weekend), and for my other partner on Fanfic, I haven't forgotten about our story. I'm still working on making it perfect and I am very pleased with how well it is going. Thanks again and, as always, enjoy. **

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Todd blinked his eyes and looked around, unsure of where it was he had found himself located. This didn't look like home. This looked nothing like home. In fact, this was unlike any place he had ever been to before. A large room with several carpets and windows, but drapes covering every one of them. A large table crossing the whole room, cabinets and shelves of treasures and jewels. All seemed so priceless and so rare. How he just wanted to touch-_

_"Don't even think about touching anything," a stern voice called and Todd quickly brought his hand back to his side, resisting the urge to touch the wand. He looked behind him and saw a strange looking man enter the room. He was different, too. Crazy hair and scaly skin. He wore a lot of leather, too, and Todd thought his boots looked a little funny. He dressed nothing like Todd's master. He held back his giggles as the funny man approached him. _

_"What's so funny?" the man asked and Todd shrugged his shoulders. "You. You look funny," Todd chuckled, biting his lip to try and prevent it. Mommy had said it was not polite to point, stare or laugh at people. "Really?" he asked and Todd just bobbed his head up and down. The man just scuffed his nose as if a bad smell had filled his nostrils. "Rude little worm, aren't you?" Todd was just too young to get it. "Mommy says it is not nice to call people names." _

_"Yeah, well, mommy isn't here anymore, little worm. Just you. How old are you anyway?" Todd held up four fingers, smiling proudly at how big he was. "Young. Vulnerable. Good. Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Todd shook his head. "Any aunts or uncles?" Again, the little boy shook his head. "Anyone besides your mother?" He paused for a moment, truly thinking. Anyone besides his mother? Todd shook his head. "What about your father?" he asked and Todd looked to the floor. "He died in the Ogre Wars," Todd responded. Rumple huffed and brought his finger to his temple. "What's your name?" he asked with a groan. "Todd," answered the little boy. Rumple seemed to be disgusted by it, as if it was the worst name one could pick. _

_"Well, Todd, before I can find further use of you, or someone who will want you, I am afraid you are going to have to stay here for a few days. A week tops. So, why don't we lay down some rules, shall we?" Rules? He could handle that. He obeyed lots of rules back at his master's place. He nodded his head rather enthusiastically. "Good," Rumple smiled and took Todd's tiny hand, dragging him over to one of the rather large chairs at the table and setting him in it. _

_"First, and most important, rule," Rumple began, "is to not touch anything! Got it?" Todd nodded. "Got it." Rumple continued. "Second, you are to never ever leave the castle. Do you understand?" Todd was too focused on the fact that he was in a castle to truly interpret Rumple's rule. "Castle? I get to live in a castle? Mommy always wanted to live in a castle!" He clapped his hands wildly and jumped up and down in his seat. "Stop that," Rumple order and snapped his fingers, causing the boy to sit till, unable to move. "You are never ever to leave the castle, understood?" Todd nodded. "Yes," he cheered. "Third, no annoying sounds. Especially when I am working." Todd raised his hand, causing Rumple to roll his eyes. "Yes, Todd." He put his hand down and asked his question. "Does this count as annoying?" He brought his lips together and made a rather messy babbling noise that would ruin any parent's or guardian's set of ears. Rumple covered his ears quickly, but Todd was still going, so he placed his hand over the boy's mouth, allowing some drool to slip onto his palm. "Overly," he replied and Todd nodded once more. "Okay," he said, his voice muffled due to Rumple's hand still covering it. He removed his hand, wiping the contents off on the boy's rags and continuing on with the rules. "Forth, no making a mess and if you do, you clean it." Todd bowed his head before looking up, awaiting the next rule. "And lastly, you are to be seen by no one, hence, you are unable to leave your room unless I say it is okay. Okay?" Todd smiled and nodded. "Okay!" he shouted, putting a tiny thumb up. "Good," Rumple sighed and lifted Todd off the chair. _

_"You are going to have to bathe, too before you make my whole castle smell," Rumple commented, holding his nose as he examined Todd, who looked as though he had just been plucked out of the dirt. "I only get one bath a month," he explained, and that did explain a lot. "Perfect," Rumple spoke sarcastically. Todd leaned forward and sniffed Rumple before he had a chance to move away. "You don't smell like a bucket of roses either," he commented. Disgusted and annoyed, Rumple picked Todd up from the back of his rags with one hand and carried him out of the room. Though it was to frighten the child, Todd was enjoying it far too much. He stuck his arms out in front of him and made that babbling noise again. "Hey, what is rule number three?" Rumple asked and Todd quickly stopped the sound, but continued to enjoy the feeling of flight. _

_One staircase. Two staircases. Three. Four. So many that Todd lost count until it seemed that had reached the highest room of the tallest tower. Inside was just a bed and a wardrobe with some candles on the walls. "This is your room," Rumple said as he placed Todd down on his feet. The little one quickly scampered to the bed as if it was a boulder of gold, so overly excited to touch it. He slapped his hands upon it, as if making sure it was real, before turning to Rumple and asking, "This is for me?" The Dark One nodded without a sign of emotion. "You will have to make the bed every morning, Todd." The boy agreed with a smile and a nod before turning back to the mattress and quilts. "I never had one before," he whispered as he gazed upon it. "A room?" Rumple asked, but Todd shook his head. "No. A bed." _

_This took him a little off guard, but he felt a hint of warmth within him once he came to realize what it was he had just done for this little boy. He walked over to the tiny Todd, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, turning the boy's rags into pajamas. "A bath tomorrow morning. Be up early if you want breakfast, but right now, you get some sleep. You look like you need it," he said, and Todd looked up to him. "Breakfast?" he asked with tearing eyes. Rumple nodded and Todd looked down, confused and lost. "Sir, I haven't been a very good boy. I cried a lot to my mommy and I have even stolen from my master. I don't deserve any of this stuff. Other little boys do." It touched his heart, and he didn't think anything could, but for some reason, just the way this boy spoke, it reminded him an awful lot of Baelfire. He patted the boy's head, running his hand through Todd's thick and black mussy hair. "Trust me, Todd, you deserve every bit of this. Now, get some sleep." _

_Rumple lifted the boy up into his bed and was sure to slip him under the covers, making it his priority to be sure Todd was warm. He turned on his heels to leave, but Todd's tiny squeak of a voice stopped Rumple from progressing out of the room. "Sir, where is my mommy?" he asked. Rumple stood in the doorway, debating whether or not he should tell Todd the truth or just leave and not give him an answer. It was hard because it would be like answering Bae. Where is daddy? Where is papa? He took a deep breath and a large swallow before turning to Todd, facing his fears, and answering him. "She is gone, Todd. And she is never coming back." With that, Rumple closed the door, locked it, and ran down the stairs, not ever looking back._

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

Her throat was bleeding from how hard she was screaming. How could this happen to her? She looked exactly like her father, just like him, only her hair was longer and her eyes were green instead of amber. What the hell had happened to her? She kept screaming, kept touching her face, trying to imagine that this was all just a dream when indeed it wasn't. This was actually happening and she was suffering through this pain and this torment. She had changed, fully.

"Ellery," she heard her mother cry as she slammed her hands on the door. "Ellery, open the door!" she called from the other side, but the door never budged for Ellery was too lost within her own astonishment of what had happened to her.

"My face!" she cried. "My beautiful face! What happened to my perfect face? It is gone! Why is it gone? Why do I look hideous? I am hideous!" she sobbed, slapping her hands against the mirror, believing that it was lying. That it was wrong, false. Believing this was some kind of sick and twisted joke placed upon her by the staff or even her father. Possibly everyone. "My hair! My gorgeous hair! It's ratty now! Why?" She banged her fists on the mirror, furious with the secrets it spilled. "Show me my beauty! Show me myself! I want to be pretty again! I am not this ugly! Show me my face!" But the mirror refused to change, unable to lie.

Her fists began to pound the glass harder, cracking it and making little splinters of it cut her hands and arms as she went on a rampage trying to bring back her once elegant form, now beastly. And just as she began to release everything, all the anger and hate, all the sorrow and self pity, is when the doors bursted open by her father's command and Belle rushed to the aid of her daughter.

"Ellery, stop," she ordered as she began to pull her daughter away from the shattered mirror. She clawed and kicked as her father helped pull her away. She was stronger now, much stronger in this form, and Belle could not stop her fists or feet of furry alone. It was a difficult task, but the two managed to pull her away from the shattered glass and bloody ruins, but she still fought them as hard as she could, embracing the fact, slightly, that she had claws, attempting to scratch her way out of their grasps. "Ellery, you must relax," Belle tried to sooth. "No! No! I look like father! I look like father!" she cried and still continued to kick and fly her fists in rage. "It will pass once you relax," Belle explained, "but you must relax. You have to stop fighting. It will go away." Yet, Ellery refused to believe such things for her own reflection in the mirror seemed to have lied to her.

Then, suddenly, she stopped. Her clawing, her kicking, her fighting, her sobs. It all stopped and she was still, like she had just died from an overdose of fear and anger all mixed together to create this super pill. She just passed out in her mother's arms. Belle looked at her, touching her face, trying to feel for a plus. And when she was sure one was there, she looked up to her husband who had his face buried in his hands.

"Rumple, what did you do?" Belle asked, but he shook his head before lowering his hands to show his face once more. He wasn't crying, but it was clear he was distraught. "She'll wake in an hour or so, Belle, but until then I needed her to stop. Look at what she did to herself," he said as he gestured towards the open wounds and cuts running up and down their daughter's arms. "She was scared. She was frightened. She didn't know how to react, and personally I don't think I would know how either," Belle said as she examined her daughter's arms. "Ellery is not a threat to herself, but image is everything to her, you know that. No matter how hard she tries to deny it." Rumple shook his head and sat on the edge of his daughter's bed, frustrated and for the first time in a long time, confused. What to do? What to do? "She doesn't mind looks until they're upon her own face. You saw how she reacted."

"Well, why did the transformation start? It only happens if she makes it happen or if she gets angry or greedy."

Rumple looked away, unable to gaze into his wife's eyes as he admitted this truth. "I pushed her. It was my fault."

"What happened?"

"She brought up the arranged marriage. How she wanted me to threaten the people of Parliament to get her out of it. To release her from her bonds to it. But she has no idea. I can't go back to my old ways, Belle. You of all people know that. She doesn't care unless it best suits her needs."

"I know that and you know that, but she doesn't. It could have been instigated by Regina today, as well."

Rumple looked to her in shook. "Regina? You let her speak to our daughter?"

Belle shrugged. "She needs a woman to speak to about her powers."

"Not Regina. Why not you or Emma?"

"Because Regina knows what it feels like."

"To what? Hate?"

"To be unwanted."

Rumple took a step back in his mind, for Belle did have a point and she usually did for the things she does. This one was one of them. A very good reason at that, and Belle furthered explained too. "Regina was in Ellery's position back at Storybrooke. No one wanted her around even when she wasn't that evil anymore. Regina was the best person to talk to because she was hated everywhere she went, knows how to control dark magic, and knows how to get past that bitter feeling of being scorned and judged everywhere she goes. I don't know what ideas Regina put into Ellery's head, but they can't be wrong ones."

He shook his head and tried his very best to remain calm. His wife often made him crazy, but he could never lay a hand on her. He was his best around her and he never forgot that. "Belle, she probably told her that we have been lying to her for all these years."

"And that wouldn't be wrong to say either," she responded. Tears pricked at her blue eyes as she thought about all the secrets that they have kept hidden from Ellery, believing it was for her own good. That it was for the right reasons, but now, Belle could not seem to find one.

"Rumple, I think we should tell her everything. Beginning to end. Your wife, everything about Baelfire, Cora, my father, Storybrooke, everything. She needs to know about her past in order for her to have a prosperous future."

"We promised, the day she was born, that if we should make it back home that we would keep that life a secret for good reason. To protect her."

"To protect her from what? So it seems, we are the only ones hurting her." Damn, another good answer. Oh well. He sighed and folded his hands in his lap, hunching over and looking at the floor. "Rumple," she spoke, but he didn't look up. He wasn't sure he was ready to face this. To face any of this. "My love," she whispered softly, and for someone reason, he could not help himself but to force his head up, gazing into her blue eyes. "I'm not saying that we tell her tonight. I'm saying that we tell her eventually."

So this is what it comes down to? Having to explain an entire past to her when he was almost one hundred percent sure that Ellery was simply not ready to hear any of it. It could possibly make her run away and find her own ambitions. It could make her disappointed in her family and its past history. It could make her lose sight of what was truly important. It could make her forget herself, and she has traveled so far. Rumple took a moment to debate over his options and came down to the conclusion that he had none.

He gave a deep sigh before looking between his wife and his daughter, who resembled him too much for even his liking. She deserved to know the truth. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, working up his courage before nodding and opening his eyes. "Okay," he whispered. "Okay. Sixteen. We tell her when she is sixteen." Belle nodded, giving a slight smile and a little twinkle in her eye. "Agreed," she said and placed one hand on her husband's knee, gently grinning up at him. Oh, he could never stay mad at her for too long.

"You want to bring her to the guest room?" Belle asked and he smiled slightly. Slowly, he climbed off the bed and scooped his daughter up into his arms. "Perhaps you should make that sleeping spell on her stronger so she does not wake up in the middle of the night and freak out again," she suggested, and he agreed. So he softly placed his hand on her forehead, and made her fall into a much deeper sleep, able to last up to hours or for the rest of the night, at least. "And her wounds," Belle said as she pointed to them, walking along side her husband as he carried Ellery out of her damaged bedchamber. He waved his hand slightly over the sleeping princess's arms, sending the markings away, hidden from all eyes including his own. She was going to be alright for now, so long as she just continued to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Todd wasn't sure if he was allowed to look around if he was not to be seen. What harm could it do? No one was in the castle, right? So after leaping out of bed like a jumping bean, Todd scampered to his door and found that it was unlocked. Strange because he thought he heard a click last night after the man left. Either way, the door was open now, which meant his key to exploration had been granted to him. Oh, he almost forgot-the bed. _

_He quickly ran back to it and was sure to spread the covers out nice and evenly, folding it at the top to be sure it was neat. After he was done, he ran back to the door, jumping up to reach the handle before forcing it open. Once the door budged enough for him to slip his body through, Todd hurried down the stone stairs, being sure to keep his balance as he went, steady down the stairs. Once he made it down all of the flights, Todd had to open yet another door to get out of this stone staircase. He pushed with all of his might, making the door open just slightly. He wiggled through and found himself in a rather large corridor with hundreds of doors lining the walls. Why would someone who lives here all alone need all of this space? _

_He shrugged it off and remembered what his new master had told him; not to touch anything. So he restrained himself, but kept his eyes open for anything interesting or worth his while. His old master had pretty fascinating stuff, but this guy's stuff was just unbelievable. A lot of tapestries and a bunch of strange looking pieces that he had no idea what they could possible be. Artifacts, possibly, or maybe trophies of some kind. Wands and hats, weapons and books. All were quite amazing and he stared with big eyes, soaking up the scene and all there was that surrounded him. _

_He ventured down the corridor and found himself back in that same room with the many windows and the large wooden table. His nose then caught a whiff of some of the most splendid smell his sent had ever presented to him. Why, it got his mouth watering and his stomach rumbling, reaching past the point of desire, but rather craves. What was that delicious smell? He closed his eyes and inhaled it deeply, imagining an over-stuffed plate with foods from every category. Smoked sausage, fresh vegetables, nice sliced fruits, a side of eggs as well. He could only picture, he thought to himself, not actually have. _

_"I was told food always attracted the young, I just never believed it," Rumple spoke as he appeared in the room with a tray in his hands, setting it carefully on the table. "I see you found your way out of your tower," he went on to comment. Todd took a deep gulp, afraid his new master was angry with him. "I just wanted to explore since I would be staying here," Todd explained, kicking his foot and folding his hands behind his back, trying to appear to be innocent. "Oh, stop with that. Come, you must be hungry." Excited that he actually got to eat, whatever it was that smelled so good, Todd ran over to the table and jumped up to see what was on the tray. Rumple shook his head at the child's failed attempts at getting his vision over the table line. He just picked Todd up and placed him on the chair after summoning a few useless books onto it, placing him down gently above the stack so he was able to reach the table, his feet dangling. _

_Rumple placed the plate of food before the boy and he was overjoyed to see that it was exactly what he imagined. He clapped his hands and smiled like an idiot when his plate was pushed to him. "I'm only feeding you because I have to. I can't let a child starve or else no one will want you." But Todd was too lost in his food to really pay any mind to what his new master was saying, just picking it up with his hands and forcing it into his mouth, unable to hold back. Rumple didn't know why, but he couldn't help, but to grin. _

_While Todd ate up his food, rather quickly, Rumple poured him a glass of milk and placed it beside his plate. As soon as he set it down, Todd gripped the glass with two hands and chugged some milk down his throat, praising the gods above that he was getting something other than water for once. Some of it dripped onto the table, but Rumple did not at all mind seeing as how this kid was deprived of the basics to live. Todd set the glass down on the table and went back to digging into his breakfast with both hands, shoveling hand-fulls in at a time. Rumple gripped his arm and pulled it away. "Hey, smaller bites. No choking on me." With cheeks full of food and milk dripping down his chin, Todd nodded his head and swallowed the contents in his mouth. He proceeded to eat slower. Rumple poured him another glass of milk before settling down beside him, eating his own plate and drinking a cup of tea. _

_"We should get help, you know?" Todd said. "Help?" Rumple asked and Todd nodded as he reached for his milk. "Yeah, like a maid. My old master used to call my mom the help, the maid." Rumple nodded, as if considering it. "Maybe one day, but as of right now, I don't need one." Todd stuck another piece of sliced apple into his mouth. "Well, I was just thinking it since I'll be here for a while and all-"_

_"Wait, wait a second, kid. What makes you think you're staying? I said a week tops, that means you won't be staying here for more than seven days," Rumple explained, and Todd seemed saddened by this fact. "You mean, you don't want me either?" Todd asked, tears pricking at his eyes as he looked to Rumple. The Dark One locked eyes with the little boy, watching as his deep blue gaze shifted suddenly from joy to sorrow in a matter of seconds. Wow, how one statement can change everything. "Ah, kid, it has nothing to do with you. It's just that I have my own little boy to be concerned about." Todd looked down and reexamined his question. "I haven't seen any other boys in the castle." Rumple sighed and stopped eating, looking to his plate. "He's missing. I need to find him," he mumbled and looked over at Todd who was drinking his milk with one hand. "Both hands on the milk, please," Rumple said, to which Todd responded by placing another hand on the milk and chugging the rest of it down. When he placed the glass back down on the table, Rumple couldn't help, but to laugh at what he saw. Todd had a little white milk mustache on his face, and he saw his reflection in the silver tray, laughing himself. _

_When Rumple caught his breath, he looked to Todd who wiped away the milk with the back of his sleeve. "You remind me of him," Rumple stated as Todd went for one of the last few grapes on his plate, popping it into his mouth and letting the juice drip between his teeth. "You have no place to go, do you?" Todd took a moment to really think, honestly, if he had any other family or even friends to go to. He shook his head and looked back down again, unable to face whatever it was he felt his new master was going to tell him. Rumple took a moment to breathe and really think this through before leaning over the table and speaking softly. "I'll tell you what, Todd," the little boy's head slowly raised from the floor to his master. "I'll make you a deal. If you promise to obey the rules I have given you and call me by my name instead of sir, I will let you stay here as long as you desire." Todd's frown grew into a large smile as he took in his new guardian's words, letting them flow into his heart. "What is your name?" he asked. Rumple gave a slight smile before extending his hand to the messy and sticky Todd's. "Rumpelstiltskin," he said. Todd took his hand and his smile extended even more. "Deal, Rumpelstiltskin," he said and the two shook on it._

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

Ellery blinked her eyes open slowly, feeling light headed and that everything was just too bright for her eyes, but they soon adjusted. She brought her hand to her head and gave it a gentle squeeze before sitting up straight and rubbing her eyes. She realized then that this wasn't her room. This was the room down the hall. Why was she here? Then her thoughts went back to the night before. How she ruined the celebration at her nephew's castle, how she fought her father, how she had transformed.

She pulled the covers off of her and raced out of the room, pulling the doors open with great force and sliding down the halls. She nearly slipped, but she maintained her balance, going straight for her room and nowhere else. When she pushed the doors open, the evidence of her damaged perfection was plastered all over the floor in broken glass and red ink. The mirror was smashed to pieces and her blood was splattered everywhere.

She knelt down near the mess and picked up a pice of the broken mirror, using a spell her father had taught her to see into the past. Quickly, the tiny piece of mirror rewinded the reflection, showing Ellery smashing it with her fists, reliving cutting her arms on the broken glass, clawing her face with her own nails, desperate to get to the skin she believed at the moment was resting underneath her scales. She dropped the glass when she saw what she once looked like not too long ago. It frightened her and made her bones shiver. She sat there, kneeling by the evidence of the past as she tried to piece it together; all of this new information, all there was about herself that she had yet to discover. She didn't know she could transform into the Dark One form and back. Was that a power only she contained?

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, it couldn't have been a while, and she didn't bother to figure it out. All she did know was that her concentration was broken by the sound of Maid Mary-Lu's voice. "She had a rough night the other day. I could hear her screaming from my own chambers. The King and Queen insisted we leave her alone, but this morning they asked me to tend to her, make sure she stayed in bed. They said she would be very weak today." Then there was a slight pause. She had to be talking to someone. Gossiping. Probably to another maid. "Yes, I know. Personally, however, I'm glad that little worm is feeling ill. If you ask me, she deserves every bit of it. Do you know what she said to Maid Kate when she was feeling ill and even vomiting? 'Best be sure to clean that up and get back to work,'" Maid Mary-Lu imitated her. Did she really say that? Yes, she did. Ellery placed her face in her hands at the memory of it. _By the gods, I can be such a bitch sometimes. _She pulled herself up and scurried towards the door, running down the halls as to not be seen by any of the maids, but before she left the room she was sure the grab the storybook with her.

She climbed back into the bed, slipping the book under the pillows, and making it seem like she had just woken up. Maid Mary-Lu entered not too long afterwards, carrying a tray of breakfast and some freshly brewed tea. "Good morning, Princess Ellery. How are you feeling?" She had to give the maid props for putting on a good show. She didn't seem to despise Ellery at all even though the young princess new for a fact that the maid hated her guts. Well, anyway, she sat up in the bed and nodded. "Better, but still a bit light headed. Do you know where my parents are?" she asked as the maid set the tray down on the bed and began to make the princess's tea. "Yes. Your parents are in a conference with Parliament. They won't be out till later. Your father insist that you just get some rest today. You had a very difficult night, I heard, and by the looks of your room, I would say you lost a lot of blood." Well, that explained the light headedness. "Thank you, Maid Mary-Lu. Could you just bring me my lunch when it is noon and let my parents know I wish to speak to them once they get of this meeting?" She tried to sound as sweet as possible, trying to gain more pity for some reason even unknown to her, but she should have guessed Maid Mary-Lu could see right past her. Scoffing a bit before standing up tall and bowing. "As you command, young princess." She then turned on her heels and left.

Ellery wasted no time on food, she wasn't even that hungry. Okay, so maybe she was, but she had other things to focus on. More important things than just food and tea. She had until noon to start piecing this altogether. She reached under her pillow, grabbing the storybook and retracing her fingers over the title. Once Upon a Time. So, this book could tell her all about her past? Her parents's past as well? She climbed out of her bed again and rushed over to the mirror. This one was covered with a blanket as well, but one sheer tug on it caused the heavy cover to crumble down in a thick ripple of wool. Once the mirror was visible, Ellery stared at her reflection, clutching the book tightly, holding it close to her chest. And she stared some more. _Magic is not about thinking,_ her father once said, _it is about feeling. Don't think too much, El. Just feel. _And so she focused on that feeling. The one she endured when she had transformed last night. Could she do it again without getting so angry? She closed her eyes and really focused, concentrating hard on what she had gone through. When she opened her eyes, she saw it.

Her hair ratty and scattered about her head, her eyes wide and horrid, her teeth ruined and yellow, her nails black and claws, and her skin no longer pale, but as scaly as a crocodile. So she could change back and forth whenever she pleased? But she didn't change back, rather just examined her new form. She looked just like her father, _exactly_ like him except the eyes and the female figure. She clutched the storybook even tighter before bringing it up to her vision so that she may reread it again. Once Upon a Time. The title was not going to change, so why did she expect it to? Probably because she felt she held the answer key to every question she ever had and it was obtained so easily. Too easily. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror once more.

She then turned on her heels and crawled back into bed, staying in her Dark One form. She took a sip of her tea, getting a good look at her claws now that she was bringing them much closer to her face, and set the cup back down carefully. She then pulled open the book. She was going to find out about her past, no matter what it would take. She didn't care that she would be going behind her parents's back. They deserved it, in her opinion. She would learn about their past, and she began her research with the first line of the first page. _Once Upon a time in an Enchanted Forest..._

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Todd was sitting cross legged on the floor as he watched Rumple spin his straw into gold. Going in as brown stringy pieces of worthless nothing, coming out as solid gold strands of pure wealth and perfection. Todd was in awe and could watch his guardian spin for hours. It fascinated him. "How do you do that?" he finally asked, watching the wheel spin by Rumple's command. He was always so curious at how it was his guardian managed to do such a task, he never seen anything like it. _

_"Magic," Rumple answered and Todd lowered his head. "Oh," he mumbled. Rumple looked over his shoulder at Todd who plucked at the carpet. "What's wrong?" he asked and Todd bit his lip. "Mommy sold me for magic, didn't she?" Cleaver boy, and Rumple wasn't going to lie because he respected cleaver children. Bae was a cleaver child. "I'm afraid so, Todd. I'm so sorry." He didn't even bother to look up from the floor. He just kept picking at the carpet, trying to figure out why it was he was given up. _

_He looked rather well, though. Rumple had been taking good care of him. He gave Todd fresh boots and breeches. Nice tunics to wear and cloaks of all colors to keep him warm on nights the castle was cool. He even managed to tame the boy's hair and keep him clean which was nearly an impossible task since Todd was restless. He always wanted to discover new things. Always wanted to venture into the backyard and just dig holes in the dirt for whatever reason. Maybe that was how he past the time back home, who knew? Alls Rumple did know was this boy was wild, and that wasn't a bad thing, for it was very easy to calm him. Just show him a bit of magic and you bended him to your will. _

_"Can you show me how to do that?" Todd asked, pointing to the spinning wheel. Rumple looked back over at him, seeing Todd's eyes poking up with wonder and ambition. "What?" Rumple asked and Todd pointed to the wheel. "Magic. Can you teach me how to use it?" Rumple shrugged. "Not everyone is born with magic, Todd." This time, Todd shrugged. "You gave magic to my mother, can't you give it to me?" Rumple smiled and nodded. "I suppose I can. What will I get in return?" Todd put his finger to his nose and shut his eyes. _

_"What are you doing?" Rumple asked and Todd responded without opening a lid. "It is how you make a wish," Todd said. "My master's wife taught me. You close your eyes and put your finger on your nose, but only when no stars are out." This made no sense. "Why?" Rumple asked and Todd opened his eyes then and shrugged, finger still on nose. "I don't know. It is just what I was taught, and I know it works." Rumple leaned over to get in Todd's face as if interrogating the boy. "And how do you know that?" he asked. Todd removed his finger from his nose and gave a sly smile. "Because it has worked before," he said. "There. I taught you how to make a wish, now you teach me how to use magic." _

_Very cleaver boy. Rumple bowed his head to him, approving of the intelligent boy. "Fair deal," he agreed and pulled Todd onto his lap at the spinning wheel. _

_"Magic, Todd, is very easy to understand. All you have to do is really feel it, not think about it. You have to put yourself into balance. Think of really bad times, times you found yourself hurt or sad. Once you have that in mind, you got to think of a very happy moment in your life. Something that made you so happy that the corners of your mouth began to hurt from smiling so much. Do you think you can do that?" Todd was silent for a moment before nodding his head up and down, excited to be in the position he was in. "Yeah, okay," he spoke in a anticipating whisper. "Alright, whenever you're ready, just start." _

_Todd closed his eyes and focused on all the memories a four year old could possibly have. The time his master hit him so hard with his hand. His bottom was sore for a whole three days. Todd placed his tiny hand on the wheel, Rumple assisting him to be sure he didn't fall off of his lap, to be sure he could reach the wheel or even spin it. He then thought of his first day here, with Rumple. The bed he was given, the fresh clothes, the breakfast, the bath. His life had finally been good to him. He finally felt like he belonged somewhere. Like he was wanted. His hand moved the wheel and he spun it with Rumple's hand on top of his. Even the Dark One was surprised by what he saw. _

_"Hey, Todd," he whispered into the little boy's ear. "Look." Todd's eyes peeped open and he was shocked to see the brown straw being spun into gold by his tiny hand on the wheel. He nearly jumped up and down with joy once he saw the pure gold flowing out from one end of the spinning wheel. "I did it!" he cheered and Rumple smiled at the young one's accomplishment. "Yes, you did, Todd. You are a natural at this." Todd stopped spinning and turned in Rumple's lap, wrapping his arms around his neck and embracing him tightly. "Thank you for teaching me," he spoke as he squeezed his new guardian. Rumple, a bit taken back by the sudden gesture of great emotion,welcomed it all the same. "Your welcome, Todd," he replied and hugged the boy back. After a moment of just holding him, he pulled Todd away. "You wanna try again?" he asked and Todd clapped with excitement. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" He turned around and put his hand back on the wheel, spinning it with ease. _

_The question then came to mind as he began to process how Todd being here came to be. Gretchen. She had given him away and Todd seemed both saddened, and yet thrilled by that fact. He swallowed hard and then asked the question he dreaded. "Hey, Todd," he began. "Would you ever forgive your mother for what she did?" he asked. Todd took a moment, stopped his spinning, and really thought about it. It was hard to grasp for he was only four, but in simple terms, his mother gave him up for power. That was what she cared about more and he was able to understand that. He went back to spinning before mumbling the answer Rumpelstiltskin feared he would hear. _

_"No."_

* * *

><p><strong>Again, a million times thank you and sorry it is a bit short. Next one will be longer. Thanks again for the support and don't forget to spread the word and check out Trickster. Six more days till season four guys! YAY!<strong>


	5. Love and Other Things

**Trickster, check it out! Also, thank you to my followers and please help me spread the word. Enjoy guys, and my greatest apologies for not warning you sooner, my grammar is not the best so I apologize in advance for that. **

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_She dreaded attending parties such as this, especially if they were for her. Birthdays never went according to plan and she always ended up doing something bad. The maids tended to her dress with fussy hands and fast pacing feet, scrambling about, trying to make her seem perfect. But the gold, ah, too much of it. Her mother insisted that wearing gold helped bring out her blue eyes. Still, Belle hated just how bright it shimmered, making her the absolute center of attention. _

_"My, my, my," her mother whispered as she entered the room, clasping her hands together and examining her daughter with loving eyes. "You look marvelous, darling. Marvelous." She didn't see how it was possible. Belle just felt funny in this dress, so big and so out there. "To be quite honest with you, mother, I would much rather go to this ball in my nightgown. This dress is horrid," she whined, to which the maids saw that as their invitation to exit the premises. _

_Colette approached her daughter with ease, helping her off of the stool she stood upon. "I know it seems like a funny dress," she began to explain to her daughter as she straightened out the wrinkles within the silk spun masterpiece that was her golden gown. "But the more you wear these funny dresses, the more you will get used to these funny dresses, and then you will be able to explain to your own daughter, one day, that they will soon get used to these funny dresses as well." Belle gave a little giggle as her mother pinched her cheeks, her jewelry on her wrist dangling and clanking as she did so. "Everyone is already downstairs, Belle, including that handsome young fellow Gaston. Last I heard, he desires to dance with you." _

_Belle looked to her feet at that. Sixteen years old and she knew that this was the day she would be picking out her future husband amongst the crowd of fellows who have arrived to, supposedly, celebrate her birthday. "I know, mama," she mumbled to the ground, to which her mother lifted her chin with a delicate finger. "It is not polite to mumble, Belle," she scorned, but her daughter just nodded in agreement or to perhaps release the tension. Colette grew a sudden sadness for her daughter. Arranged marriages, they all stung. _

_"I know an arranged marriage is not what you desired, sweetheart, but I do hope you can make the best of it. You tend to do that." Belle backed away from her mother's touch and turned to her balcony. "I know what you expect of me, mother, what the kingdom expects of me, but I can't help to wonder..." she trailed off as she gazed up at the stars. Her mother approached her with ease, but was sure not to get too close as to ruin her daughter's thoughts. "Wonder what, Belle?" she asked. Belle took in a deep breath before continuing on. "If I would ever fall in love with the man I am going to marry. If my wedding would be as romantic as I have always pictured it to be." _

_Colette could not help, but to smile at her daughter's wild imaginations. It must have come from all those books, poor dear did love to read more than anything else. She could spend hours at a time just sitting on her sofa or out in the garden, nose stuck in a book as she dug deep into contents, ripping apart every word and every metaphor written. "And what did you picture your wedding to be like, my darling?" Colette asked and Belle drifted off into the deepest parts of her imagination. _

_"Well, it would not be too grand like most princess's weddings. I would want it to be rather small," she explained and Colette chuckled. "A small wedding for a princess?" she asked, not too sure if she believed the words that spilled out of Belle's mouth. "Yes, mama. A small wedding for a princess. Perhaps in the forest, hidden within the trees. I wouldn't be in some extravagant gown, but rather a small petite one. It would not be during the day, but late at night. That way, me and my lover...we would not need witnesses. The stars could be our witnesses, the moon our guidance." _

_"And how would you see in the dark, my dear girl?" her mother interrupted, but she did not at all mind. It added texture to her tale as she came up with the very next detail. "Candles," she smiled. "Candles everywhere. Small candles, medium candles, large candles. Everywhere, just a bunch of...candles." She smiled as she thought about it, gazing off and dreaming, imagining her life before her._

_A sudden hand was placed upon her shoulder, her mother's lips right by her ear. "Well, my dear Belle, I am sure that one day you will have your small, candle lit wedding in the forest. And I am most certain that the man waiting for you in the middle of that forest will be so overly in love with you...that he will sob with joy when you two are just about to share your first kiss as husband and wife amidst all those trees and glowing candles." Belle smiled at the mere thought of it. She was not sure who it was that was going to be standing with her in that forest on that day, but she knew it was going to be someone special. "But, just for now," her mother went on to say, "I am afraid that you are going to have to put on your best fake smile and dance with a few boys. Let's not forget that you also have to wear your crown as you do so." Abruptly, Belle felt a disturbance placed upon her head. Another piece of gold, her small crown that fitted her natural one perfectly. "You are not going to make me start balancing books on my head, are you?" she asked to which her mother responded with chuckle and a kiss to Belle's cheek. "No, dear. Only if you keep the stories safe within your head." Belle looked out to the distance and leaned against her balcony railing. There were so many stars out tonight. _

_"I'll be down soon, mama. I just want a moment to myself, please," Belle begged, and her mother obliged. "Alright, dear, but don't stay up here for too long." She placed a kiss on the top of her daughter's head and drifted away, down to the ball she was due to attend while Belle continued to look up to the skies, counting to stars. She thought about her wedding, what was to happen to her, how she was to go through an arranged marriage and she saw no escape from it. No way out. A single tear slipped down her cheek. _

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

"He looked over to the crowd of people wandering into the bar, already appearing to be drunk from too much liquor consumption. Rumpelstiltskin's sharp eyes caught sight of the man that lead them in, calling for more ale and alcohol. The man who had stollen his wife not too long ago, ripping away from Baelfie his mother, ripping away a wife from her husband. Rage grew within as the serving wench reappeared before him.

"'Are you sure you don't want anything to drink?' she asked with obvious fear shaking in her voice. Rumpelstiltskin turned to the frightened girl rather enthusiastically and whispered to her. 'You know, I suddenly find myself quite thirsty,' he responded with an evil smirk of revenge."

Ellery set the book down so that she may rub her eyes, attempting to wipe away the sleep, but the truth was she was still drifting, the sandman taking control of her. Ellery was stubborn, however, and she was in a fight she was determined to win. _Stay up, El, _she told herself. _You need to keep reading._ She reached over to her waiting tray, not touching the eggs nor sausage, but rather just the blueberry muffin that she had been nipping at every once in a while when her stomach craved something to be put within it other than tea, which was what she was going for. Another cup of tea.

She tipped over the pot slightly, but not substance came pouring out, the spout dry and her cup empty. She tilted it over even more, but all that managed to leak its way out was a speck, the size of a tear drop, that dripped off the lip of the spout, dangling for just a moment before it splashed into her empty glass. "Great," she said as she put the kettle back on the tray and leaned back in her bed. She then proceeded to get into a rather heated debate with herself. "Keep reading or go get more tea?" she questioned and made arguments back and forth. She huffed before forcing herself off of the bed and slipping her feet into her slippers. "Off to the kitchen, I guess," she said, picking up the pot after slipping Once Upon a Time under her many pillows. She figured it would be safe there for just a while, just for a moment.

She shuffled down the halls, too lazy to pick up her feet and too tired to care about the sounds she made. Her eyes were half open and her mind was half awake, making her walk unsteady, as if she was drunk. She had no idea she had even changed back to her normal self, pale skin and all. Still, she did not look as well as she used to. Even Maid Marge caught sight of that as she passed the princess in the halls.

"Your Majesty, are you felling well?" she asked, sounding truly concerned, but Ellery didn't buy it. "Just peachy," she snapped back, in no mood to speak with servants. "Do you know where my parents are?" she asked the maid to which she heard the same response as she has heard before. "Meeting with Parliament, Your Majesty." Ellery rolled her eyes before continuing her shuffle down the halls, sliding her feet across her marble floors, leaving no trace or evidence of where it was she has been.

Into the kitchen, she pushed open the doors with little force needed, to which all of the servants and cooks stopped their tasks and bowed to her. "Afternoon, Princess," they spoke together, but Ellery paid them no mind, just setting the pot down on the counter and speaking as loudly as she could manage. "Someone, please fill up my pot. I am afraid I have run out." Several servants rushed to her aid, but only one was needed for the task and so it was only one who grabbed the pot first and brought it back with her to her station.

Ellery rested her head on the table, falling victim to sleep for just a moment. It was disturbed rather quickly, though, by a little tug on her pajama pants. She peeked open one eye, looking from under her folded arms in which she rested on to the little girl below her. Her smile was too bright and cheery at the moment. She shut her eye again after taking just a second to glance at her.

"What do you want Annie?" Ellery mumbled. The ten year old in pigtails smiled up at the princess, not afraid of her one bit. "My mother tells me you made a big mess in your room last night," she went on to say. "Your mother tends to gossip very much," Ellery mumbled under her breath. "And you tend to mumble too loudly," Annie snapped back. Ellery just gave a loud exhale. "So, what happened, El? Did you wet the bed or something?" Annie went on to ask to which Ellery stood up and began to walk away, forgetting about her tea. _But wasn't that whole purpose in getting up anyway? _She rolled her eyes and stayed put. "No, Annie. I didn't wet the bed. Something much bigger than that happened." Annie raised her hands dramatically. "I only speak about what I hear," she spoke with attitude. "No need to get so sassy, little girl," Ellery spoke and leaned against the wall, folding her arms and craving to crawl back to bed, saying good night to the world. "You get sassy all the time," Annie said. "I am the Princess, I can do that," Ellery replied.

Annie rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, swaying them sightly and giving a little thot walk as she made her way to the wall and leaned against it next to Ellery. She glanced up at the disorderly princess, giving a sly and twisted grin as she did so. Ellery spotted her gaze from the corner of her eye and did her absolute best to ignore it, but her strong gene of curiosity kicked into overdrive. What was it that the little twit was smiling about? "Alright, what are you hiding?" she asked and Annie sucked her teeth. "What makes you think I'm hiding something?" she asked. Ellery raised her brow and Annie caved.

"I'll help you out if you help me out," the redhead began to bargain. "Help you out with what?" Ellery questioned, not sure with what this child could possibly want from her life. "Not much, just that nice pearl necklace you have up in your room." Ellery snapped. "You little twit!" she shouted, causing all eyes in the kitchen to shift to her and Annie. Ellery saw the error in her ways and grabbed ahold of Annie's arm, tugging her to just outside the kitchens to speak to her in a more private environment. "You went into my room?" Annie rolled her eyes again. Damn, she loved doing that. "My mother asked me to help her clean up your mess last week. I saw it on your dresser then. I thought it was really pretty. Lucky I didn't steal it." Ellery laughed. "If you did, you would have lost your head."

"Look, El, if you want my help you are going to have to cough up the necklace."

"Your help? Why would I need your help?"

Annie gave that same sly and cold grin, creeping onto her face slowly and cooly, like she had the whole world in the palm of her hand. Her darkening blue eyes made her appear that much more sinister. "Because I am the only one who knows about the tunnels." Now Ellery was just flat out confused. "I'm sorry, tunnels?" she asked and Annie nodded. "Two tunnels to be exact," she went on as she held up two fingers, "and I am the only one who knows about them and where they lead to. So, if you want to learn more about these tunnels, you will have to give up the pearl necklace, deal?" Oh great, deals. Well, if her father could make them certainly she can. After all, they had a lot more in common than Ellery originally thought they did. She stuck out her hand and grabbed ahold of Annie's. "Alright, you little rat. Deal. Now, show me these tunnels." Annie seemed more excited about it than Ellery did, pulling the princess away and down the golden halls.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Her feet were sore from the numerous amount of horrid boys she was forced to dance with. She was sure blisters were developing on her feet. Gaston was nowhere near as good of a dancer as he thought he was. Belle was dreading how many torturous minutes she would be stuck spinning and twirling with him about the dance floor. _

_"You are a wonderful dancer, Princess Belle," he complimented, making Belle put on yet another fake smile, but she was overly distracted. Just before she had started preparing for her birthday celebration, she had read the most wonderful story. The prince had taken the princess for a magic carpet ride and they had glided off through the stars, seeing the world from a whole new prospective. In that moment, she had lost her sight, her thoughts, everything went to speeding through diamonds in the night sky. _

_She bumped into the person beside her, causing them to tumble over, knocking into the table holding the cake and punch. Clatter and splatters latter, poor Princess May was covered from head to toe in cakes, treats, punch and other sticky, gooey substances that made her scream in horror. Belle covered her mouth with her hands, rushing over to her fallen guests as the music died and eyes turned to the scene. _

_"Oh my, I am so sorry, May. Here, let me help you," Belle extended her hand to bring the fallen princess to her feet, but May swatted her away. "No! Don't touch me! Don't you touch me!" Belle backed away as May wiped the substances stuck to her face off onto the floor. All eyes were glued to Belle and she felt the redness come to her cheeks. _

_"Belle," her father called. Her eyes shifted to him softly as he gazed upon her with fear and discomfort, but her mother's...they were far past it. They were disappointment, as if Belle had brought upon her family some great dishonor that stung her soul. _

_She collected her dress and ran off, past the staring guests, past the mess and past her own happiness or at least comfort. It had all been stripped from her and now she felt exposed. She wanted her safety, contempt in her own mind...or within the pages of her books. Scrambled into her room, kicking off her shoes and ripping off her dress as she went, staying in her corset and chemise. This was just too much, all of it blowing up in her face. She pushed open her balcony doors, sunk to the ground and wept. _

_Tears spilled out of her eyes, pouring onto the floor as she despised herself for her mistakes and flaws. For everything she was going to go through. This arranged marriage was killing her inside, making her crumble and slump to ruins. _

_"Oh, sweet child," a voice whispered. "Please, do not shed such tears." Belle looked up from her sorrows and was surprised to see a young woman dressed in green standing before her. It wasn't the fact that there was a stranger in her bedroom, but rather the fact that said stranger had a huge pair of wings attached to her back and a wand in her hand. "I can help you make those tears disappear." _

_Belle became intrigued. "You van help me? Who are you?" she asked and the fetching young blond smiled, nodding at the young one's question. "Yes, my dear. I can. I am your fairy godmother, Gretchen." Belle's tears slowly began to disintegrate as she listened to her fairy godmother. "I have a fairy godmother?" Again, Gretchen smiled and nodded with glee. "Yes, my dear. I'm here to make it all better. Now, what seems to be the problem?" Belle took in a big gulp, swallowing the lump in her throat before she revealed the sad truth of what she had done not too long ago. _

_"I kind of ruined my own birthday. I was distracted and knocked someone over right into the dessert table. Needless to say, there is no cake anymore." Gretchen examined Belle closely, not fully believing that everything she was saying was true. "Perhaps that may have happened, Belle, but there must be something else on your mind," she pressed on. Belle shook her head, daring not to stare into Gretchen's eyes. "Nothing not even my fairy godmother can fix," she explained. "Try me." Gretchen folded her arms, accepting the challenge. "Arranged marriage," Belle confessed and Gretchen crinkled her nose. "I despise arranged marriages. I don't see much of a window for me to work, but if I knew who you are to be married to, that may help." _

_"Sir Gaston," Belle knew for sure it was going to be him. "No one else would approve of me after that little stunt, and he was the only one ever really interested in the merchandise my father was selling." Gretchen knelt beside Belle on the floor, cupping her face with a gentle hand and wiping away a few lingering tears with a press of her thumb. "Don't think of yourself as property, dear. I can help you." Belle smiled slightly, but decided to press her godmother's duties on further. "I want my fairytale to be different from all the others, though. One that no one would ever expect and quite possibly, the best love story ever told." Gretchen smiled and helped Belle get back on her feet. "I like your enthusiasm, Belle, but I am afraid, due to the Laws of Magic, I cannot make anyone fall in love with anybody else. However, I have a feeling your love story will be unlike any one that has ever been written." _

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

So these were the tunnels? Who would have known they were located behind her father's portrait? The present King's portrait was always hung in the same place on the same wall, and then transferred to the Hall of Kings once they have passed. Annie ran up to the portrait and stared at it for a moment. Ellery did the same. There was here father, standing tall, but proud was the question, not dressed like himself. Rather, in a blue suit with a large golden crown on his head. Ellery could only imagine what he looked like without the scaly skin and knotty hair. The suit would have fit him well if he looked like himself again, or so she thought.

"That's your father," Annie said as she stared at the picture, Ellery nodding in response, remembering that she once looked like that not too long ago. That she controlled looking like that when she pleased. Annie shivered a bit, trying to make it seem like she didn't, but Ellery understood. People took one look at her father and shivered in fear, that was the instinct reaction and that was what made him a good king. Everyone was terrified of him just by looking at him.

"It took me a while to find it because of the portrait," Annie began to explain as she slowly tipped the portrait to its side, revealing a door just behind it. "As you probably well know, your father kind of freaks me out." Ellery tilted her head to her side to try and see the portrait straight, or as straight as possible, trying to decipher whether or not her father was as scary as everyone perceived him to be. Maybe he wasn't, but then she looked at herself, looked at her very existence and knew- she knew very well how babies were born. How the hell her mother was willing to "create" her with someone who looked like _that_...it was mind boggling, but Ellery did her very best to not think about it that often.

"You coming?" Annie asked as she pulled open the door, allowing the two of them entrance. Ellery snapped out of her thoughts and followed Annie inside. The little girl slid the portrait back into place before closing the hatch to the tunnels, crawling behind Ellery who did not hesitate. "How do you see in here?" she asked as she trudged forward in the cold dry cement that she had a feeling was scrapping her arms. "Just move forward, I guess. I have only been in here a few times," Annie explained as she followed close behind. "Where exactly does this take me?" Ellery asked as she forced herself to move forward, never slowing down. "Where you want to go, trust me," Annie giggled. "You are going to reach a fork in the road up ahead. Go left." Ellery looked back for a moment, trying to see Annie in the pitch dark, blackness. "What's to the right?" she asked and Annie bumped her head into Ellery's slippered foot, unbeknownst to her that the princess had stopped crawling. "Haven't had the chance to investigate it yet," Annie explained and pressed for Ellery to move forward once more, heading straight for the fork in the road.

"You're not going to knock me out and take my kidney, are you?" Ellery teased while Annie held in her chuckles, staying close behind the fifteen year old, crawling in the dark. "Who knows what your kidney looks like with how your father looks like? For all I know, it could be all black, covered in mold spores and mushrooms. No, your kidney is worthless to me, as is the rest of you." Ellery rolled her eyes. Annie was always this rude, and was quite possibly the only one worse than herself in this castle. "That's not funny, kid, and I can assure you that my kidney looks like anyone else's as does my daddy's."

"How do you know? You seen it?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"Because I believe it. Besides, my mother would know better than to be with someone who doesn't have the proper organs."

Annie scoffed. "I don't know. Your mother seems to go for the first man she can find." That was it. Ellery lifted up her right leg and kicked back, knocking Annie square in the nose, she has gotten into a nasty habit of doing that. "Ow!" Annie cried as she grabbed ahold of her nose. "Oh, I'm sorry, did my foot connect with your face? It is just so very dark in here, I can barely see." Annie straightened out her nose and slapped Ellery's foot away. "Point taken, just keep going straight." Ellery obeyed, sure to stay to the left as they passed the fork, but her curiosity heeled for nothing. She glanced to the right just briefly, wondering what could be lurking past that tunnel.

Her head hit against a wall, leaving her to rub it tenderly as she braced her other palm against it. "Hit a dead end, Annie. Now what?" She knew Annie rolled her eyes, she could just feel it, allowing her to believe that she has said or done something stupid. "It's not a wall, it's a door," the young one explained. "There is a latch on the bottom left hand corner. You have to pull it up and then push on the door." Ellery attempted to feel her way through the darkness, running her fingers over every part of the door, across its entire surface, trying to find this latch that Annie spoke of, and just when she was about ready to give up, her fingers traced a cold piece of metal. "Gotcha," she smiled as she pulled the latch up and gave a gentle push on the door, a lit hint of light peeking through.

Ellery swung her legs around and hopped out of the square tunnel, which was only a few feet off the ground, at the most five, and found herself in a rather quant looking room. Blue walls, but candle stick holders complete with candles that appeared as though their wick has already been lit. They rested on small polished tables, alcohol trays placed upon these tables, bottles half empty and glasses awaiting for the next pour. A large blue couch with cushions and pillows leaned against the wall that the tunnel was dug into, even portraits covered the wall-some rather famous looking works of art. Two bookshelves, one on each side of this rectangular room and a slit towards the bottom of the floor.

"What in the world...?" Ellery began as she inched closer to the slit, Annie jumping down from the tunnel and straightening out her skirts. "I thought the same thing when I first came in here," she said as she closed the tunnel door, appearing as a portrait of the current Queen; Belle. "What is this room?" Ellery asked, Annie looking up at her smiling. "That's just the question, isn't it? This room is a secret, though. I have a feeling only the King and Queen know about it." Annie knelt down onto the floor where the slit was, sure to kneel on her knees. "My parents?" Ellery questioned, and Annie nodded before grabbing ahold of the handle on the slit's tiny sliding door. "It must have been the royal's who built it because...well...I guess you just have to see where it leads to." With that, she pulled the handle on the small rectangular door that was only about three inches long and five inches wide, not allowing much of a view, but at least a glimpse of one.

Light shinned through and voices could be heard echoing from the other side, mumbling stuff about trade, conquest, something foreign and that did not capture Ellery's attention. What did, however, was that voice that could not be forgotten anywhere-her mother's. She laid down on the floor and peeped through the little opening Annie had revealed to her, able to see into Parliament's Chamber's, listening into the conversation her parents were having with the council, and there her parents were, sitting upon their thrones as one member spoke of shipments and importation, then taking his seat amongst his fellow councilmen. There had to be at least forty of them, maybe a little more. No wonder these meetings took hours at time. All had their own complaints, their own problems with the kingdom, their own speciality within it. Some controlled taxes, some controlled land acts, others laws, others shipment details. Every issue with the kingdom was addressed to her parents this way. She suddenly felt bad for them and her desire to become Queen has greatly lessened, even though it was never that high to begin with.

Once that councilmen had retaken his seat, a rather large looking one stood up, clearing his throat before speaking rather loudly. "Next issue as to be addressed before the King and Queen shall be presented by the Head of Royals and Heirs, Councilmen Unders." An old, greying looking fellow stood up from his seat, making his away around the bench to address the King and Queen as if they were not above him, but equals, possibly even beneath him. When he spoke, his voice developed within you a certain form of fear that could not be shaken, it just sort of lingered upon you, making you see your own breath and feel his pain.

"Your Majesties," he began, not even bowing. She didn't know why, but it bothered her greatly. "We have spoke of this matter before, but I am to assume it is to be addressed every time we hold a meeting. Your daughter, Princess Ellery, is of the age of fifteen at the moment. Is that or is that not correct?" She watched as her father tensed. "Indeed it is," he spoke in his sinister voice, trying to reciprocate the councilmen's ways of terror. Her father was much more frightening than he was, Unders should know this by now. "Go, daddy," she mumbled as she watched more. "Her sixteenth birthday is how many days away, may I ask?" Rumple clenched his fists. "Indeed you may, it is exactly two days away."

"And in this point in time, it is on the sixteenth birthday of ever young Princess of this fine kingdom to choose a suitable heir to the throne, in which they shall spend the next two years agreeing to the certain terms and Laws in which makes this great kingdom so great, is that or is that not correct?"

"It is."

"So, then, I do wonder why it is that only twenty seven Lords and Princes have been given invitation to the event when there are fifty two more than eligible Lords and Princes for the Princess to choose from. Can you please explain to the council why that is?"

Rumple took a deep inhale before looking slightly to Belle who was in the process of gnawing her lip, obviously frightened about the conversation that was to take place.

"More than happy to do so, Councilmen Unders." Ellery was a bit surprised when she watched her father stand from his throne, located at the top of a few stairs, firmly placing his hands before him when he was about to begin with his reasoning. He was dressed in his usual leather, except he had his large, golden crown placed upon his head. It seemed so unlike him.

"I am sickened by this Law," he began, bringing gasps from the entire council. "I am sure many of you know that by now, so I do not expect so many of you to be all that surprised. What I am shocked over, is the fact that not a single one of you in this room, who sits before me today seems to have a problem with such an unfair and, not to mention, unjust Law. That is what is turning my head, making it spin in circles. The only ones who appear to have a problem with such a disgrace as this is my wife and myself. Oh, and obviously, Princess Ellery, my daughter, whom I would appreciate if she was spoken of as a person rather than a relic to your kingdom.

"I only sent word to the Princes and Lords that she is well aware lives in this world, has met face to face, and has grown somewhat comfortable around. That way, if I should fail at being a father, unable to have this curse that you have thrusted upon her removed, at least she has some sense of comfort not marrying a complete stranger."

A smile wanted to form on Belle's face, but she forced it to stay hidden as Ellery and Annie peeked on. "Your father scares me," Annie whispered and Ellery smiled. "Good, that's his job."

"The Princess has two years to get to know the man she is to marry, therefore he shall not be a complete stranger to her," Unders argued.

"Those two years of said comfort between the ages of sixteen and eighteen is to help the man she is forced to marry study his history on the kingdom he is to marry into, its geography, past wars, current relations. It is all to prepare him for a kingdom he knows absolutely nothing about, but gains through my daughter having to surrender her hand and her vows...and her heart to some boy who claims he is ready to be a man and is willing to prove that by violating my daughter."

"Those two years," Under raised his voice, "is for the future King to prepare himself for what is expected of him with the helping hand of his future wife."

"All while pushing his plow into every wench he could find before he must give himself to a woman in exchange for a kingdom." All were silent as Rumple's rage grew and it became perfectly clear. He began to make his way down the stairs.

Quickly, before anything else should happen, Ellery turned to Annie and asked. "How many of these meetings have you sat through?" Annie swallowed before confessing. "Seven." Ellery lowered her voice even more. "Why doesn't my mother say anything?" Annie pointed to Rumple. "He makes her promise...before every meeting that she won't say a word. That she remains silent because he doesn't want her to be hated like he is. If anything should go wrong, he wants the blame to fall on him and only him." Ellery had a feeling Belle would never agree to such terms unless there was something bigger than that. "My mom would never make such a deal. She always fights for my daddy." Annie shrugged. "Maybe she is smart enough to wait for the right one." Ellery nodded and looked back out to the meeting.

"Ellery is not just some toy for some boy to play with. She is much more than that. She is my child, my daughter and I will not have her broken because of something as ridiculous as a few men sitting in a room saying this must be so. You want my daughter, guess what, you can not have her. She is mine and my wife's, and no Law is ever going to change that."

"She belongs to the kingdom."

"No, the kingdom is indebted to her. To my wife. To me. We protect it. Another thing it is going to need protection from is a child sitting upon a throne he has no right to."

"You have no right to this one," Unders argued. "You have no right, Rumpelstiltskin. No right whatsoever. You just showed up here one day, with the former King's body in your hand, parading around these halls with that crown on top of your head. We had a King in place for the future. The Princess was all set to marry the perfect man for the job, but you ruined that. You took her as part of your bargain and you imprisoned her. She calls this love, I call it a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome."

Ellery's head did back flips. What were they talking about?

"How dare you," Belle spoke between gritted teeth.

"I beg your pardon, my Queen?" Unders questioned as Belle clawed at her throne. "You do not have any right to question my judgement, councilmen. May I remind you that you bow to me, not I to you, and in case you are unaware, allow me to jog your memory, that the former King was my father who granted his blessing to my marriage. So, you are not only questioning my judgement or your current King's judgement, but you are also questioning my father's."

"The same man who founded the perfect match for you some years ago. The perfect man whose head should be under that crown instead of your's...Dark One."

Rumple got into the councilmen's face, allowing his breath to linger in his nose as he left no space between them, chilling the old man to the bone. "You will die in pain one day, councilmen. Frightened, tired, lonely and in pain. And it won't be my judgement that you question, but rather your own."

"Two days, Your Majesty. Two days to invite those last few Lords and Princes or else you may have yourself out an heir. The Princess will never become Queen until she marries by her eighteenth birthday, and if she doesn't you will have some lost boy sit your throne instead of your own flesh and blood."

"You wouldn't be that cruel to the kingdom."

"No, but I would be that cruel to you."

Ellery slammed the slit shut.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_He sat on his bed in the guest room, wondering when it was Belle would be ready to show herself again. He hasn't seen her since the whole incident, and he found it hard to believe that she would be the one to hide herself away for too long. She would have to come out and face him sometime. _

_He removed his boots and placed them on the floor beside his bed, leaning back on the pillows and imagining himself wedding the beautiful princess. She did hold a great amount of fairness in her, the most stunning woman he has ever seen. She would definitely be worth all the trouble. Nothing was going to change his mind about this arranged marriage. The only thing that could possibly ruin it was the fact that he would be watched nearly every moment of every day. No way for him to 'work around the clock.' He figured he could handle such a thing. The kingdom and her beauty were defiantly worth it all. _

_Just as he was about to drift, he could feel he wasn't alone, knew he wasn't alone. Someone was in here, watching him as he rested his eyes. As nonchalantly as he could possibly manage, Gaston reached for his sword, pulling it out from its sheath and swiped it through the air, attempting to slice the person that he believed stood over him. _

_"No need for sword play," she spoke and he was shocked to see it was a rather stunning woman standing by his bedside. A young woman with flowing blond hair and rather large wings, standing in a silky green gown complimenting her more than perfect hour glass figure. "I am not here to harm you, rather than to help you. Both of you." Both? He lowered his weapon. _

_"Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?" She smiled and bowed her head slightly. "Not at all, I was expecting you to. My name is Gretchen, I am Princess Belle's fairy godmother. I am summoned through tears and she was sobbing rather rapidly this evening. She tells me she is to be engaged to you for an arranged marriage. Is that so?" _

_Gaston put his sword back into its leather sheath, setting his guard aside and focusing on Gretchen's rather wonderful body. "Did not know she had one, but what she says is true, though it has not been confirmed, but then again, I guess it has now that she has said that. Would you like to sit down?" He offered up the seat beside him, hoping she would take it. Gretchen, however, just looked down as her cheeks glowed a bright crimson color. "I suggest we keep things professional, Sir Gaston," she whispered. Was she getting shy? "Just offering a pretty lady a seat." _

_"Yes, well, the pretty lady who needs the most attention at the moment is your bride to be. I am afraid Princess Belle does not reciprocate feelings for you as you may have of her." Time to work, he thought. He put on his best smile as he shook his head. "Belle and I are not like that. Neither one of us has feelings for the other. It is rather just the King's orders." Gretchen tightened her face. "It appears the King does not have a lot of regard for his daughter, now does it?" _

_"No regard for anyone. He is putting me through the same amount of misery as she. I am just hoping we can figure things out together. I am attempting at getting my own parents to reconsider. I am so close to doing so. I should be out of this marriage soon." _

_Gretchen became intrigued. "So, you don't believe you will get married?" He shook his head, straight out lying to her. She was gullible. Believing anything she wanted to hear. "Indeed, dear Gretchen. Indeed. As a matter of fact, this may be my last night in this castle. I wouldn't want to go on leaving it empty. Poor Belle is sobbing away in her room and I am left here...alone." _

_Gretchen shook her head and smiled slightly. "No, she is not sobbing. She is sleeping. I put her to bed about an hour ago. Poor dear needed her rest. A lot seems to be going on in her life and in her kingdom." _

_Gaston patted the space on the bed beside him, welcoming her into his space. This time, instead of denying it, she took it gladly. "I am too awake to rest, what about you Gretchen? How long has it been," he scrapped his knuckles against her cheek bone, "since you have had the affection of a man?" She thought about it. Her late husband, dead in the Ogre Wars, laying on the battlefield as blood trickled out of his mouth and other wounds onto the already dampen grass. She then looked to Gaston, and saw the face of a charming young man, offering himself to her. Offering his love to her...so she believed. She bit her bottom lip and gazed into his eyes. "Too long," she responded before lunging herself onto him. _

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

"We tell no one of our little adventure, got it?" Ellery asked as she handed Annie her strung up pear necklace with a little hesitance. "Got it," the redhead replied as she strapped the pearls around her neck, admiring herself with them on through her own sense of vision. "Get out of my room now, Annie," the princess ordered as she headed back towards her bed, teapot in hand. "It actually isn't your room. Your room is in the process of being cleaned. This is a guest room," Annie corrected. "And I am the guest in which occupies this room, making it my room at the moment, and I am demanding you leave." Annie folded her arms, gave a stomp of the foot and then stormed towards the door, but not before looking over he shoulder at the princess who was crawling into bed. "You and I have more secrets between us than anyone else in this entire castle, El. Just remember that." With those final words she left, leaving Ellery to open up the storybook to a random page in which her fingers grazed over the picture. Ellery focused on those words, believing them to be untrue.

"No we don't," Ellery mumbled as she continued to stare upon the picture in the book. "My parents do." Her fingers traced the outline of her father as he was seen forcing Belle into his dungeon, into the dampness and the dark. Leaving her to quiver in fear of what would become of her, what he would do to her. She read the first line on that page, knowing she should not spoil the story for herself, but she had to just get some insight on what was taking place on that page. She read it out loud in a low whisper. "And he lead her down the stone steps, into his awaiting dungeon. 'Where are you taking me?' she asked as she followed close behind her new master, her owner. He replied coldly to her, only looking at her for a moment, to send chills down her spine and make her stay as unpleasant as possible. 'Let's just call it your room,' he said as the two traveled down what seemed to be a hundred stairs, Belle too exhausted and too frightened to count. Rumpelstiltskin forced the large wooden door open with a twitch of his fingers, leaving her to stare in horror. '_My room?' _she shivered to which he responded with a shrug. 'Well, it sounds a lot nicer than dungeon.' And with that, he shoved her inside, plummeting her into darkness."

She held her breath, still staring at the page. What if Unders was right? What if it was just Stockholm Syndrome? She shuttered at the thought and flipped back to the page she was up to. Back to her father digging his hand into Milah's chest, tearing out her heart and crushing it slowly within the palm of his hand, cutting off the pirate's. "...Then vanishing after Jones embedded the hook into his chest, it dropping to the floor with Rumpelstiltskin's ghost shimmering away in a cloud of smoke," she read.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Three months. That is how long it has been. A whole three months of this affaire, sleeping with the other and confessing their love for each other. Gretchen smiled as she rested her cheek upon the sleeping Gaston, the man she has fallen so helplessly in love with. She had been thinking of plans on how the two could escape the watchful eyes, run away to be together. It has been too long since she felt this good, since she has been this in love with someone. She breathed softly as she listened to the beating of his heart, tracing her long fingernail up and down his sternum. He woke up with a chuckle. _

_"How long have we been in this bed?" he asked with a lazy voice. "Not long enough," she replied. Gaston leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Agreed. However, today I must get up. I have to tell the King and Queen that I will not be marrying Princess Belle, not when I have you." She smiled as he placed a soft kiss upon her nose. "You are a very beautiful woman, Gretchen," he whispered and shivers explored her body with lust and love. "Why thank you, and you are one handsome man," she complemented. He chuckled and nodded. "I know." They both laughed and she kissed his chest gently. _

_"My love," she spoke and he listened. "I was thinking, perhaps we could...you know...run away together? That way, we would be able to be with each other and not have to worry about anyone every coming between us. What do you say?" She was honestly nervous, not sure what he may say and frightened that he would just laugh at her suggestion, but the look he gave begged to differ. "Why, darling, that is not such a bad idea." A smile grew across her face as Gaston seemed more excited about her plan than she did. "Really?" she asked and he nodded. "Yes. It is a marvelous idea! That would be perfect. Just you and I together. Do you want to leave tonight? Tonight would be perfect." Tonight? Oh, she was overjoyed! She finally had the love she always desired, not even her husband made her feel the way that this man made her feel. "Tonight then," she agreed. "Where do you want to meet?" she asked, allowing her future husband to make the arrangements. She believed he was more romantic than herself. "How about that large oak tree by the lake? You love that place." She nodded with joy, feeling the excitement rush throughout her. This was perfect. "Wonderful, my love. Best place to meet, say midnight?" He nodded and kissed her lips. "Yes, my dear. Perfect. Midnight tonight at the oak tree by the lake, and we will run far far away." She laughed and held him close, kissing him passionately as she thought about telling Belle the news. She has managed to save Belle from her arranged marriage and find her own happiness. _

_"Now, my dear, as much as it pains me, I must get up and get ready to deny the King and Queen of their offer." He pushed the covers off of him and ventured to the other side of the room. It was already the evening, they have been in bed all day. She smiled at the memories. "Please, be kind to them. Belle is special to me, you know." He bowed to her, making her giggle. "You have my word, darling." As he dressed, Gretchen thought of telling Belle herself how the arranged marriage had fallen to ruin. How Belle was free and Gretchen had been saved. Tonight before she left, she would go to Belle and tell her. She would tell her of the good news.~~~_

_"Dear Belle," she whispered. "Wake up, sweet one. I have news for you." Slowly, and rather hazily, Belle lifted her head off of her pillow, giving a yawn and stretch. "Fairy godmother, you're back so soon." Gretchen chuckled. It has been three months since they last spoke. "Oh, my dear. It has been far too long, but your arranged marriage has been taken care of." Belle perked up like a spring chicken, jumping straight up and her eyes as wide as can be. "Honestly? I won't have to marry Sir Gaston?" Gretchen nodded with glee, admiring how happy she has made this child with her own pleasure gained as well. "Yes, my dear. I handled everything. No marriage will be made." Belle's smile grew well past its limit as she threw her arms around Gretchen's neck, embracing her godmother tightly. "Oh my gosh, you did what my parents couldn't do in years! Thank you, fairy godmother! Thank you!" Gretchen chuckled with joy as she returned the warmth of open arms, proud of what she has accomplished with her new set of skills. "It was my great pleasure, dear Belle. Now, hows about some tea? I am rather parched." _

_Belle giggled, but released Gretchen from her tight embrace. "Very good idea, godmother. Mother doesn't usually allow it in bed unless I am sick, but I would say this is a rather special occasion." Gretchen couldn't agree more. "Indeed it is." With a flick of her wrist and a wave of her wand, a tea set hovered in the air before them. Belle was amazed while Gretchen looked to it as if it were a normal thing. She poured herself a cup and allowed Belle to help herself. _

_"Godmother, can I ask you a question?" Belle asked as she took a sip of her tea and Gretchen swallowed the bit that was in her mouth. "Of course, my dear. What ever do you wish to know?" Belle grew hesitant, like she had no right to ask or if it was something so personal that it should not be asked. Either way, she built up her courage and spilled her question into the open. "How is it you got your powers? Were you born with them or were they a gift to you?" Gretchen was still, making eye contact with the floor rather than Belle. It would be the first time she ever spoke of the incident besides the time she barely touched it with the Blue Fairy, but children always asked more questions than adults. They had nothing better to do than to dig deeper into someone else's past. _

_"Yes, well...that is a very delicate topic, dear Belle," she spoke as she took another sip of tea. "So, you don't like talking about it?" Gretchen was silent. "Was it because you had to do something terrible to get them? I have read in a book once that fairies are not made, but rather created. Even fairy godmothers are given their title based upon behavior and stuff like that. So, you must have had the powers before you got your wings, right?" Damn, she knew too much. Too smart for her own good. "Belle, it is not important how I got them. Let's leave it at that, please." But Belle was too determined. "I am just very curious is all. What did you have to do to get them because...I would want to become a fairy godmother someday. Help people like you have helped me. Do you think it is possible if I get my powers the way you got your's?" _

_"You do not want to get magic the way I got mine."_

_"How did you get them, godmother? Please, tell me." _

_"It is not a big to do, Belle."_

_"What is so bad about it?"_

_She sighed before giving her the answer. Before telling Belle the truth, just not all of it. "I made a deal with someone. My powers in exchange for something I already possessed. The deal was struck and I used my newly obtained powers to help people in distress. People like me, or at least, what I used to be."_

_Belle leaned forward, placing one hand on her godmother's shoulder, trying to comfort the fairy who had feelings just as she did. "Who was it? Maybe you can get the treasure you traded back. Show them that you used your powers for good." Gretchen shook her head, looking to Belle slightly slanted. "No, child. No. I am afraid the person that gave me my powers is as dark as they come, not willing to listen to any reason whatsoever." _

_"You don't know that," Belle insisted. _

_"Oh, yes I do, Belle. I know for sure."_

_"How?"_

_"Because the one who gave me my powers was the Dark One himself; Rumpelstiltskin." _

_Belle nearly choked on her own shock and surprise when they suddenly heard footsteps just outside her door, her father's voice calling to her. "Belle! Belle! We have great news!" She turned to her godmother, who flashed the floating tea tray away. "You must hide, godmother. You must." Gretchen got up in haste, making herself as small as can be. She wanted to be able to see the look on Belle's face when she is told how Sir Gaston would not be marrying her and she would be free from her vows to the man, allowing herself and him to be together. She fluttered into Belle's wardrobe as the child positioned herself to appear as though she had been resting up until now. _

_Her father and mother bursted into her room, great smiles of joy plastered upon their faces as they crowded around their darling Belle, pulling her close to them. "Oh, dear Belle! Great news!" her father cheered and her mother applauded with him. "What is it papa?" Belle questioned as she suspected what it was her parents were about to tell her. How she was free and would be able to marry this special someone that she had in mind. "It is Sir Gaston, Belle," her mother began. "He has agreed to marry you," her father concluded. Belle and Gretchen's smiles fell into frowns of depression and anger. "What?" Belle asked. Her mother kissed her head. "He came to us just moments ago, saying he would happily have your hand in marriage. It has been decided. In two years, you will be married to Sir Gaston, and you shall be Madame Gaston!" _

_Gretchen fluttered out the window and back to the chambers of her beloved, off to have a word with him. _

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

"That bitch!" Ellery screamed, sending her teacup slamming into the far wall, shattering into bits and pieces. "You bitch! Evil, horrible, cruel, deserves to die bitch! You broke my daddy's heart!" she screamed at the illustration of Cora. "You evil, cun-"

"Princess?" Maid Mary-Lu spoke from the other side of the chamber doors. She found herself shell shocked in place on her bed, the book wide open to the page where Cora was explaining to her father how she had ripped out her own heart and locked it away. "Are you alright?" Maid Mary-Lu asked as Ellery suddenly discovered herself and began to clean up her pile of tissues from when she sobbed over the loss of her brother_, _being sucked into that portal well into the land of the unknown. Sobbing from when her father covered himself in dirt, trying to dig his way back to Bae, leaving his tears behind as he crawled out of the dirt ditch. Crying from when her grandmother Colette had passed and Belle was heartbroken. She shoved the book under her pillows and positioned herself in bed. "Yes," she called. "Yes."

Maid Mary-Lu pushed open the door with her back for her hands were filled with a tray of food. "I heard you only got up to get a new pot of tea," she said as she approached the bed, bringing the Princess her lunch. Soup and a loaf of bread, but what kind of soup, she could not determine yet. Changing had made her a bit sick. Sore throat and stuffy nose. Her senses were not as good as they used to be. "You were told correct. Where are my parents? Still at the meeting?" Maid Mary-Lu shook her head, placing the tray on Ellery's bed. "No, Princess. They finished that about an hour ago. They said they would speak with you as soon as they could. They asked me to tell you that they know you are frightened as well as confused, but not to be. That they will clear everything up as soon as possible. Right now, they just want to discover the right approach to it." She couldn't be that mad after seeing what they have to go through every time they sit down the have a meeting. Not to say how often they must listen to the cries of the people. She nodded at Maid Mary-Lu's words, bitting her lip. "Could you just tell them I am not mad and that I understand?" The maid bowed her head as she cleaned up the old tray from breakfast. "Not like I have much of a choice," she complained as she made her way towards the exist, leaving Ellery her lunch and hate for this woman named Cora.

Once Maid Mary-Lu left, Ellery reached back under her pillows and opened the book to the page she was on. Back to Cora and her father going their separate ways, so she hoped. She dashed a hint of salt into her, what is it? She took a whiff. Ah, french onion soup, and swallowed a spoon full of it. Not too hot, just perfect. She skimmed over the page until she found the line she was up to and read out loud once again.

"Ah, yes. Here we are. This line." She cleared her throat and began. "'I am sorry, Rumple,' Cora whispered as she placed her hand on his cheek, stroking it lightly." Ellery rolled her eyes and scooped up some more soup. "Please, sorry my ass. Matter of fact, you can kiss my ass evil bitch. I hope your dead." She took in more soup and continued reading.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_He strutted down the halls, feeling power rush within him without the need of fairy dust or a crown upon his head. This was great. An entire kingdom and a beautiful woman as his wife all perfectly wrapped up tight with a bow on top just for him to rip open in two years. Everything was going his way._

_"You agreed to marry her?" Gretchen called out to him once he entered his guest chambers within the palace. He chuckled at her sudden appearance. "Sorry, darling," he shrugged. "I am afraid I have to." Gretchen's hold on her wand grew tightly, making her knuckles as white as the moon. "You said you weren't going to marry her. That you would convince your parents to let you go. Get out of this arranged marriage. That you have no feelings for the girl."_

_"Oh, I don't," he spoke freely. "But you see, she can provide me with something that most pretty faces simply can't?" Gretchen looked at him, lost and confused. "Money, and a whole lot of it. Not only that, but an entire kingdom for me to rule and a beautiful woman seated beside me for me to call my own. Plus, I trust, spending enough time with her and with my good looks she'll fall in love with me eventually. Love is a very simple thing after all. All looks, no brains. Any average person can understand that."_

_"What do you know about love?" Gretchen questioned. _

_"What do you?" he snapped back. "Last I recall, it has been a long time since you have been with a man." _

_"They all seem to lie, apparently." Gaston shrugged. "To each his own." She turned away frustrated and too enraged to even look at him in the eyes. He poured himself some liquor and took in the great stinging sensation, feeling no need to show any remorse whatsoever. "So, that's it then? You are just going to marry her? You said you were going to marry me, that we were going to run away together. Were you just going to leave me standing there for hours, waiting for you?" She turned back to him to catch his reaction, to see if her tears would make a difference in his judgement. They didn't. He shrugged. "It would appear to be that way, now wouldn't it darling? To be honest, I had hoped that would have happened. That is what I planned to happen. Would have been much less embarrassing, darling." She snapped. "Don't call me that! Don't you ever call me that! We could have been together, but you choose that...that...that brat over me! She doesn't even love you! Why does everyone always choose children over someone who can make them truly happy? It is always children! Stupid and arrogant children who have everything! Who do nothing, but ruin your life and take away from you all that you may have left! I hate them! I hate her! I hate him! I hate you Todd! I hate you Todd! I hate you!" _

_With that, she flashed away into the forest, leaning against a tree and letting her tears flow out from her eyes. "I hate you Todd," she sobbed. "I hate you so much. You took him from me. You took my husband. Determined to protect you from ogres. I should have fed you to the ogres."_

_"You got your powers from the Dark One? From Rumpelstiltskin?" the small voice asked and Gretchen looked up from her sobs at the Blue Fairy who fluttered too close to her for her own liking. "Just go away, and what does it matter? I have always done good with my powers." The Blue Fairy was obviously frightened by what it was Gretchen had said. "You talked about killing your son. Was that what you traded for your magic? For your dark magic?" _

_"Dark magic? I don't have dark magic. I have light magic," Gretchen argued. The Blue Fairy shook her head. "No, Gretchen. You can only get the same magic as the person who gave it to you. Rumpelstiltskin could not have given you light magic if all he had to give was dark. You traded your son for this magic?" _

_She finally let it lose. "Yes! Yes! I traded my son, Todd, for the magic Rumpelstiltskin gave me. I gave him up for my powers and it is the best decision I ever made. If I had a chance to go back in time, I would do it all again. You better believe that. He did nothing, but ruin my life. I hear the Dark One skins children and wears them as pelts, I pray to the gods that that is what happened to Todd. I would much rather enjoy wearing that pelt myself." _

_It was overly disturbing, the words Gretchen had to say. Very disturbing. It sickened the Blue Fairy to her stomach, imagining a little boy being skinned and turned into an object of clothing. But she knew Rumpelstiltskin better than what she would like. She knew what happened to Baelfire. She knew that not even the Dark One would have the ability to harm a hair on that little boy's head. As far as she was concerned, Todd was just fine, if possible, better than just fine. Rumpelstiltskin always made his deals for a reason. _

_"That dark magic is taking over you, Gretchen. You are in no right mind to continue on being a fairy godmother. You are not worthy of your wings." Gretchen reached behind herself and grabbed her wings fiercely, pulling them off in one tug. "You want your wings? Take your damn wings! Why should I be kind to the world if all it is is cruel to me?" She threw the wings to the floor and began to walk away, still keeping the wand in her possession. "Gretchen, what will you do now? Ruin people's lives as you go?" She turned back around and shook her head. "Oh, no. Just some. The ones who deserve it. I have had my heart broken too many times. It is time for others to feel my pain. I am no fairy godmother anymore. I am not even a fairy. I go by no good names, and I'll be damned if I let that little bitch in that castle get away with what she did to me. I will ruin her much more harshly than she has ruined me."_

_"Gretchen, wait, this isn't you," the Blue Fairy called, but the woman in green laughed sinisterly and shook her head. "No, Gretchen is dead. But the Enchantress has just been born." And with a flash of green, the Enchantress was gone. _

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present <em>

_"_Yes, bitch! Yes! Go daddy!" she shouts as she jumps up and down on the bed, clapping her hands wildly. "Yes! Yes! _YES!"_ She lands on her back and kicks her legs in a manic fashion as she laughs over the page she has just read. She picks up the book again, forced to reread the lines she has just skimmed to get some more satisfaction out of it.

"And Regina looked into the mirror, watching as Rumpelstiltskin suddenly appeared, telling her to push Cora into the mirror, showing her the action with the widest grin upon his face. With all the force that she contained, Regina thrusted every bit of magic upon her mother, Cora slipping into the mirror, fading away from her daughter and the room in which she stood. The mirror shattered into millions of pieces of glass, blocking the evil Cora's path of redemption."

She did a fist pump to the air with victory, laughing sinisterly, tears streaming out of her eyes. "Oh, you so deserved that," she whispered as she took a bite of her bread and turned to the next page. She was frozen when she heard a voice, though, not outside the room, but all too close to her. Right next to her. "That is not how she died, though," the voice whispered. Ellery slowly shifted her head and looked into the eyes of her father.

* * *

><p><strong>Longest one so far, but I hope you enjoyed it and I have a very special gift planned for you guys on Sunday for the premiere of Season Four. Spread the word, check out Trickster, and don't forget to watch and read Sunday. Thanks a million guys. <strong>

**PS-Ellery hasn't been cursed yet ;)**


	6. Childless Fatherless

**HAPPY SEASON FOUR GUYS! Love you all and enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_"Up," he orders the blanket that is crumbled up on his bed. It barely moves. "Up," he commands again, lifting his hands even more. This one spell, this simple trick is so easy, and yet it is the hardest for him to master. He has created potions most wizards and warlocks could never master, enforced enchanting spells unlike anything anyone has ever seen, and even learned how to control that magic carpet, but a spell that requires barely any work for his teacher has him stumped. "Come on," he orders, getting frustrated. He doesn't want to be stuck making his bed every single morning when it would be so much easier to just 'magic' it made. "Up, damn it!" he yells, raising his arms angrily and sending the blanket spiraling towards him, engulfing him in a hug and making him lose his balance. Ah, damn. _

_He scrambles under it, trying to find a way out and see the light again. This was embarrassing beyond all levels. He still struggled when suddenly, the blanket, seemingly lifted itself off of him and landed neatly on his bed, perfectly made. "You have mastered the transportation spell without ending up in limbo, just the lake outside, made Kerko's Brew, and even mastered that wardrobe spell on your first try, yet you can't master a simple cleaning spell?" Rumple asked him as he stood in Todd's doorway. _

_The fourteen year old brushed himself off and stood up straight, trying not to make himself seem as un-magic savvy as possible. "Yeah, well, you make it sound like magic is easy." Rumple raised a brow as Todd sighed. "I'll get it right. I promise. Now, what is the deal? You never come up here unless it is important. Too many stairs." Rumple smiled and began to leave. "I have something for you. Come." Todd, a bit confused, followed his guardian down the stone stairs into the main hall. He has never really been treated to gifts, come to think of it, he never was treated to gifts. Not even on his birthday. Matter of fact, Rumple did not like to bother with Todd all that much on his birthday; he always locked himself up in his room, never speaking a word to anyone. Never leaving the castle. Not even spinning._

_Curiosity strung his mind like a line of bells, ringing all the possibilities of what Rumple could possibly have for him and for what reason. He could never think like him, no matter how hard Todd tried. It was impossible to get inside his head or even have the slightest of what he was thinking. So, he thought it best to just roll with it, allowing whatever happens to happen. _

_"I was waiting until you were older and more responsible to handle this properly before I gave it to you," Rumple said. From off the table, he pulled a box, showing it to Todd. It was wrapped up tightly in brown paper, his name written in gold letters on top. "What is it?" Todd asked as Rumple handed him the box. "Well, I suppose you'll just have to open it and find out," Rumple responded. Todd felt dumb for just a moment before ripping the paper off of the box. "May I ask what is the occasion?" Todd questioned as he threw the paper to the floor and proceeding to pull off the lid. "Do you remember what happened ten years ago on this very day?" Rumple asked as he leaned into Todd's space. The boy shook his head, throwing the lid on the floor on top of the ripped up paper. "You came to make a home in my castle, the first time anyone ever wanted to stay here willingly. I never forgot that," Rumple explained and Todd's eyes widened in awe at the gift that rested within the box for him to take. _

_He pulled it out slowly, examining the fine stitching, but not finding it overly beautiful. "Wow," he mumbled, trying to hold back his disappointment. The stitching was lovely, the way it was made was such a rare design, but the cloak itself was horrid. A deep red color, equivalent to dried up blood, with a black floral pattern sewed in. The sleeves, hood and the other edges of the cloak were trimmed with black lace. "Stunning, Rumple, but I am afraid it just isn't my type. I am overly happy that you actually remembered this day because it jogged my own memory." Rumple laughed and took the box from Todd's hands, placing it on the table. He then took the cloak and held it open. "Just try it on. Trust me. It is your type." _

_Todd rolled his eyes before giving in, turning and slipping his arms through the sleeves. After he shrugged his shoulders to make sure it was suited well on him, he then turned to face Rumple, holding out his arms as if saying this-makes-no-difference with his body language. "Put up the hood," Rumple ordered and Todd obeyed, lifting the hood. He still held out his arms and then plopped them down. "Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror?" Rumple suggested, forming a mirror in his hands and holding it out for Todd to examine himself. There was a problem with that, however. Todd's reflection didn't appear in it at all._

_He touched the mirror's glass with a gentle hand, trying to feel for any signs of cracks or enchantments. Nothing stood out to him, or it was under a rather good spell. "Rumple, I think your mirror is enchanted or sucks because I can't see a thing except the background," Todd explained, wondering if something was obstructing his own vision, waving his hand in his face. He could see it just fine. "Nothing wrong with the mirror, Todd," Rumple began, "but the cloak is enchanted. You're invisible." _

_His excitement grew as he tried to comprehend what it was that was happening to him. He was invisible? How so? "I am invisible?" he asked Rumple who nodded in response. "You can't see me?" Todd went on to ask and received the same exact answer. "This is a cloak of invisibility, isn't it?" Rumple's smile said it all as Todd spun around, having a new admiration for the cloak. "I am actually invisible! Oh, this is defiantly my type. Thank you, Rumple. Thank you!" He embraced his guardian, hugging him tightly. Rumple pulled the hood off of Todd's head so that he may see him and return the gesture. "Well, I am glad you like it. However, the cloak comes at a cost. You can't get something for nothing, you know?" Todd released Rumple from his tight embrace and folded his arms across his chest. "It is always deals with you. What do I need to do?" _

_"Simple, really. All I need you to do is go on a little field trip. I need you to kingdom hop for me. See which ones are in the most amount of danger with the ogres progressing, and report back to me," his guardian said. Todd tilted his head to one side, looking at Rumple strangely. "Why don't you just stop the Ogre Wars like you did the first time?" he questioned and Rumple smirked. "I will, just not yet. I have deals to make and the ogres are helping me to make them. Use the cloak and be careful wherever you go. Should you ever be in any kind of trouble, use the transportation spell and come back to me or call out my name. Try your best to stay hidden. That is why I am giving you the cloak. No one can know about you," Rumple explained and Todd grew even more curious. _

_"Please explain to me why it is I am to stay hidden. Why no one can ever know I am alive. Why you are keeping me a secret." He desired to know all those things and he had a right to know. He has been locked up in that tower for ten years, he wanted to know the reasoning behind it. _

_Rumple looked away for a moment, debating if he should explain himself or not. He took a deep breath before turning his attention back to Todd, grabbing his shoulders gently and looking into his eyes. "I know what a broken family does to people. I know what dark magic does to people. I make every detail and every deal with very good reason." Todd still wasn't catching on, unable to understand what Rumple was trying to explain. So he chose different words, making it clear, his intentions, to Todd. "I already lost one son, Todd...I don't want to lose another." _

_Tears pricked at Todd's eyes as he thought about the words Rumple had just said. 'I already lost one son, Todd...I don't want to lose another.' One son. Lose another. _Son. _"Y- you...you consider me...your son?" Rumple smiled and nodded, the look in his eyes saying it all. He was telling the truth. "I do, Todd." He lost it, tears streaming out of his eyes, letting them fall down his face. His father died in the Ogre Wars, his mother abandoning him, and now the Dark One considering him his child. It was not the father he always dreamed of, but at least he finally had one. A home. _

_He hugged Rumple tightly, crying into his chest, silently, just letting the tears fall and his eyes turn red. Rumple held him back, just as tightly, remembering back to the days of Baelfire, remembering what it was like to be a father. He missed the job, given to him by a blessing. It was the greatest job anyone could have ever asked for and he had no idea why he had waited so long to become one the first time and this time. He did miss Baelfire, overly, and he would not rest until he had him back, but while he was childless and while Todd was fatherless, he was overjoyed that he made the wise decision of becoming a father again. _

_"You promise to be careful?" he asked Todd, who chuckled and nodded. "You taught me well, Rumple. I think I can handle it. I'll set out tomorrow morning. I want to practice using the cloak today," Todd responded, pulling away from Rumple. The Dark One looked down upon the boy he has taken care of for ten years, reminiscing about when Todd first arrived; just a four year old boy making babbling noises and spilling milk every time he was given a glass. It was all worth it. Every second of every day. Every fever. Every fit. Every nightmare. Everything. It was all worth it. "You do that, Todd, and let me know how it goes. You sure you can handle this task? It is a rather big one." Todd swallowed hard, gulping down the tears of joy before nodding and speaking his plan. "Yes, I'm sure. Trust me, I can do this. I even know where I will stop first."_

_"Where?" Rumple asked, curious on what kingdom Todd had in mind. _

_"Avonlea," Todd said. _

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

Ellery was holding her breath as her father examined the page she was on, reading the contents and deciphering for himself if it was accurate or not. He chuckled to himself for a moment before shifting his eyes to Ellery. "Maid Mary-Lu told me you were swearing, very angry with someone. Very angry. I ask you, dear Ellery, was it this woman that you are so very angry with?" Rumple asked his daughter as he pointed to Cora's name in the book. She had been found out, so she gave a gentle sigh and set the book down on her lap.

"Yes, daddy. I called Cora a bitch," she admitted and he chuckled, not blaming her for doing so considering the past they shared and what Ellery probably read already. "I remember telling your mother how Cora and I were...affiliated with each other. She didn't call her such a name, but I could see it in her eyes that she desperately wanted to." She got nervous, very nervous, but she just had to ask. Curiosity was a bitch. "Do you still have feelings for her, daddy?" He removed his eyes from the book and went back to his daughter before placing a gentle hand on her hair, stroking it lightly.

"What I had with Cora was complicated. Extremely complicated that even part of myself did not understand it. But if you are asking me, even before she tried to kill me, before she ripped out her own heart, if I was still on the terms I was with her as I was before then, but I met your mother, and fell as in love with her as I am now, who I would choose...it would _always_ be your mother, El. I have never loved someone as much as I love your mother because no one has ever loved me as much as your mother does. If I had the choice, I would do it all over again."

That soothed some fear she held, making it not as known as it was before. "But you still have feeling for her, don't you?" she pressed on. Her father sighed and lolled his head. "The problem with me, sweetheart, is when I love someone I love them too much for my own good. Cora will always have a tender spot in me, but she tried to kill me. Your mother never did that, no matter how angry she was with me."

"I don't know, daddy, she came pretty close when you were discussing giving me my sword for my birthday," Ellery pointed out. He chuckled and nodded, but rolled his eyes. "Please, that was nothing compared to me telling her that my dagger that I gave her originally was a fake." Ellery flinched as if she had been slapped. "Oh, low blow, daddy. You should have just given her the real one." He shrugged and even started to really laugh about it. "I had a great amount of trust and magic issues back then. Plus, I held a lot of grudges. I also lied to her about not taking care of someone," he said, trying to hide the fact that he actually killed a few people back in his day. Ellery rolled her eyes and turned back a few pages, back to where her father first got his powers and butchered the Duke's men. "Daddy," she said, showing him the page. "I kind of figured you killed a few people back in your day." He was shocked to see she was so open about it, but at least she was hiding no secretes. "People in this book are very hard to cover up. Seems like everyone is in here." Ellery shrugged and began to flip back to her page. "But I am sure they left one or two characters out," she commented as she looked for her page. "Thank goodness for that," Rumple mumbled under his breath.

"Where did you get it anyway?" he asked as Ellery bookmarked her page by bending the corner and closing it in her lap. "I don't want to tell you. That person does not deserve to feel your wrath. I'm sorry I went behind your back, I really am, but you and mom never told me anything. I had to figure everything out for myself. I got sick of it. I thought I deserved to know." Rumple nodded, breathing in deeply before accepting his own wrong doing. "Yes, I know, El. You did deserve to know everything and we should have told you everything. Your mother and I were just trying to protect you, but now we see that we are the only ones you needed protecting from."

"That's not true, daddy. Your best interest was always in mind, never anything else. I know why you kept the past hidden from me, I do, but I had to know."

"I know, Ellery. I know. Which is why I am going to let you continue to read the book, and if you have any questions, you can come to me or your mother and ask away."

She looked up to him in shock, expecting him to be a lot more furiated with her than what he appeared to be, but then again, she guessed that was for the better. She didn't want her father to be mad at her for simply trying to find out more about herself and her family. He had accepted that, allowing her to explore her history and discover for herself what it was like for everything to become the way it is. He settled for her honesty and curiosity. "Really?" she had to make sure.

"Really, El. So long as we no longer keep secrets from each other," he said. She nodded and stuck out her hand, offering her father a shake. "You have to make a deal," she said and he smiled at her dearly. "We seal it our own way," he replied, leaning forward and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Deal," he said to her. "Deal," she replied.

He leaned back on her bed, making himself comfortable, remembering he was still wearing the crown. He took it off and dropped it to the floor, letting it clatter against the tile as he finally had a moment to spare. A moment to relax. It seemed as though he had been working for the past three hundred years or so and now he finally got a break to spend some time with his daughter.

"So, what part in my story are you up to?" he asked and she pulled open to the page she was at with glee. "You are convincing Regina to use magic, willing to teach her. She is rather rel- wait a second...you said mom didn't try to kill you, but Cora did. Cora tried to kill you?" He shrugged his shoulders and opened the book wide enough for both of them to see. "Long story. We'll talk about it later," he said as he nudged Ellery to start reading. She cleared her throat and began.

"Rumplestiltskin met Regina on the road she had been traveling..."

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_He snuck silently, trying not to make a peep as he went, sure to not step on any twigs that should be beneath his feet. He wanted to be silent. Disposing of yourself from other's vision was not enough. You needed to be as silent as a shadow for the full affect and that is what Todd was as he tip toed around the area in which Avonlea's castle stood. _

_He stood at the castle's large stone wall, about a hundred feet tall, unable to be climbed over. He glanced to its edge, the tip that would lead to the bridge, bringing him to the castle that was well guarded, obviously. They were in the middle of a war. He took a deep breath before flashing himself from one side to the other, landing still on the bridge and walking across the mote with ease. This was a breeze and he barely made any sound. No guard even so much as turned their head to catch a glimpse of him. He was in the safe zone with his tactics and spells. Once at the large wooden doors that were guarded by more men dressed in silver armor, Todd used the same spell, landing himself inside the castle, still hidden from view. _

_It was huge. That is an understatement. He walked further into the lobby, his footsteps making a slight echo so he was sure to just lightly walk on the balls of his feet, making no sound at all save for his light breathing. "I would get lost just looking for the bathroom," he muttered to himself as he walked on, examining all the pieces of art and all the stone structures that made up the place. Artifacts, but none as impressive as the ones his guardians had. They were far more valuable than these flimsy and replaceable specks they had decorating their walls. No matter. _

_Todd listened for voices and voices he heard. Frustration and anger lingered on in the voices he heard; wars were often difficult to deal with and Todd understood why one would sound as derailed as this man did. He listened closely, following it down the halls of the place, letting it echo, bounce off the walls and land in his ears. He walked slowly and smoothly, being sure no sound was made, looking over his shoulder constantly, having to be positive that no one was following him. That no one knew of his presence. Further on and on down the halls, paying close attention to the words that were being say, but it was hard to make out until he was right in front of the slightly opened door for him to hear._

_The men stood around a table with different bits and pieces of small castles, toy knights and miniature ogres that were progressing towards the small castles rather quickly. How many more days would it take? Todd could guess less than a week. Rumple had taught him a lot about estimation and times of war. It was easy to see the losing and winning sides in everything, even if they themselves can't see it. Avonlea was going to fall, soon, surely, and Todd only knew of one solution to their problem, but dared not to suggest it now. Instead, he just listened. _

_"They are advancing, Your Majesty. They are getting closer by the moment," one man spoke to the only one wearing a crown on his head. He seemed older, stressed, losing youth. Todd paid closer attention, really absorbing all the information. "I know they are, the question is what is being done at the front lines. How many men have we lost?" _

_"At least two hundred, Your Majesty, but the numbers keep climbing. Soon, our entire army will perish." _

_"I will not have that happen." _

_Another man spoke up, but Todd could not see his face. "It only makes sense for us to surrender, Your Majesty, or at least ask one of our allies for aid and support."_

_"I already did. They are preparing themselves for this war shall the ogres progress and take over my kingdom. I can not let my people die because of me. Something must be done."_

_"Unless the ogres just die, Your Majesty, nothing we do will work. You can send as many men to the front lines as you want, but it will do no good. The kingdom will still fall." _

_"You don't think I know that? You don't think I am well aware that all of my people may die because these monsters decided to terrorize my kingdom-"_

_"Papa," a calm and peaceful voice soothed the growing ill tempered man. Even Todd found himself at ease. "Please," she begged. Todd looked further into the room, catching sight of a stunning young woman in a very fetching golden gown, book close to her chest and her brown hair done in splendid curls. "I know these are hard times. I know that you are angry, but right now we need a miracle. We need help." _

_Todd smiled before standing up and exiting the castle. "I can bring you your help," he whispered as he went to return home._

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

"She has the storybook?" Belle panicked as Rumple tried to sooth his wife. "Darling, please, try to understand. I don't think we should be upset that she has it, rather relieved. Now, at least, she can read everything, every detail so we don't leave stuff out." Belle paced the floor, wondering how she could accept this. She would discover every secret they ever kept from her, and for once Rumple was actually okay with that. It made no sense to her and she wasn't so sure she wanted her daughter to find out exactly how everything between her father and her mother went down. It was just too complex to explain.

"Rumple, what if she reads something out of context? What if she gets the wrong idea about something? I just don't want her getting hurt," Belle explained, taking a seat on the edge of their bed, white nightgown on and hair loose around her shoulders. I has been a stressful day and her exhaustion was clear on her face, but Belle fought every once of sleep to stay awake, too concerned about her daughter to go to sleep at such an hour. Rumple, on the other hand, found beauty in the way his wife looked even if she wasn't all dolled up and ready for the day.

"Sweetheart, I told her she could come to us with any questions she may have. Whether it would be past relationships, confrontations, choices, anything. No matter what it is, I told her that she can talk to us about it. Just today we spoke of Cora and your mother." She peeked up from her hands, looking to her husband with those big, beautiful, blue eyes of hers. "What part is she up to?" she asked and Rumple smiled sweetly at his wife, taking a seat on the bed next to her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly. "Your last chance of making it through the Ogre Wars has just arrived at your castle," he whispered, placing a kiss on her cheek, drawing out of her a giggle. "My knight in shinning armor," she cooed, "come to rescue me from the beastly ogres." His kisses trailed to her jawline, making her cheeks turn as red as apples. "I wouldn't say-" he placed a kiss on her neck, "shinning armor," and another, "more like-" and another, "thick leather," and another, "but to save you..." and another, "no, sweetheart-" one more before he brought his lips to her's, mumbling against them. "You saved me." She breathed harshly, taking his face in her hands and pulling it to her's, kissing him passionately. "I love you," she whispered against his lips. He smiled as tears began to prick at his eyes. "I love you more," he replied before moving her to the center of the bed.

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Todd came rushing back into the Dark Castle, racing towards the place he knew Rumple would be. He skidded into the room, stopping short, finding Rumple at his spinning wheel with gold come out and landing gracefully into the basket. "Avonlea," Todd shouted as he removed the hood from his cloak, removing his sword from his hip as well and placing it on the table. It was rather heavy and he was not used to carrying one around just yet. Rumple taught him how to use one, but never has Todd been given a reason to use it. _

_"Avonlea is in great danger. The ogres are progressing and fast. I say they have about a week before their kingdom falls completely. They are looking for someone to save them," Todd explained. His story caught Rumple's attention. He stopped spinning, thinking about what Todd just said. "Who is the King of Avonlea?" Rumple asked as he stood up from his stool, making his way towards the table, laying out a map of all the Enchanted Forest upon it. "Sir Maurice. Lady Colette died some years ago." They both surrounded the map like the men did inside Maurice's castle, except Rumple was looking for something more important than Ogre War strategies. "Did you see where the ogres were on the map?" he asked Todd, who nodded and pointed to a river that ran right through the center of the map, separating Avonlea from the outskirts, where the ogres came from. "They made it up to the river in three days," Todd said with disappoint. "Weak army," Rumple muttered. "I can push them, seal off Avonlea, make sure they are not attacked. Afterwards, set up a wall from this point of the river," he showed Todd, "to this one, blocking the ogres off." _

_"Rumple," Todd butted in. "They don't have a lot to offer. I saw the inside of the castle, saw how they dressed. Based on other royals I have seen and the books I have read, they don't have much. It is a rather small kingdom." _

_"That still deserves to be saved," Rumple argued. "I don't need much from them. I already have something in mind. Do tell, did you see any servants in there? Any maids?" Todd shook his head, remembering back to what he saw. "No. No one." No maids. No servants. Only chefs he saw when he found himself in the kitchen rather than the exit, but they were all males as well as everyone in that room, except... "Oh, wait! There was this one girl. She looked wealthy. Possibly the Princess. Yeah, she called Sir Maurice 'papa'."_

_"Harlot?" Rumple asked and Todd gave him that _Really? _look. "No, Rumple. I don't believe she was. The dress she wore did not say 'harlot' to me, rather 'royal.' She had to have been the Princess. Curly brown hair, blue eyes, an accent you won't soon forget. Very pretty, I must say." He sighed. "If only I was older." _

_The idea slowly crept into Rumple's head after hearing the words Todd had just told him. Another deal about to be struck and he knew exactly what he wanted. "Remember you told me we should get a maid?" Rumple edged onto Todd who looked back to him, trying to see what it was he was planning in that twisted, overly powerful brain of his. "Yeah, why?' Todd asked. "I think I found one. _

_"You are going to go back to Avonlea tomorrow, tell Sir Maurice that you know of someone who can help and convince him to let me help them," Rumple explained, rolling up the map and sending it away. "What makes you think they won't contact you to begin with?" Todd asked. "Since Zoso died, the Dark One has been free of his services to the Duke and so no one knows where to find him. You are going to fix that little problem, but do not tell them your name or how you know where I am located. Avoid that part of conversation if you can, but see if you can convince them that I can help. Once you have an answer, report back to me. Don't let anyone see you enter, don't let anyone see you leave. Understood?" Todd nodded firmly. "Understood." _

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Present<em>

"It is so strange to see you so grown up, Henry. Last I remember, you were a twelve year old boy doing inventory in my shop," Rumple said as he had poured his grandson a chalice of wine. Henry knew what this sudden call of a family meeting was all about. It wasn't to catch up on things, or to even just see each other. It was the whole storybook situation, but Henry knew the moment he gave it to Ellery that if anyone was going to find out she had it in her possession, it was her father. It wasn't even a question of if he would ever find it, it was rather the matter of when.

"I remember that, too. Unfortunately, we all have to grow up sometime. How are you, grandpa?" He has gotten used to that, calling Rumple grandpa. It became an everyday thing and it no longer felt strange to him. Rumple took a seat across from him, lifting his own chalice, swirling the liquid around before answering the question. "Here's to never growing up," he settled for, gaining a laugh from Henry. "I'll drink to that. How old are you now? Three hundred?" he asked before taking in some wine and Rumple swallowing the amount he had in his mouth. "About. You never ask anyone their age, Henry. It is just rude." Henry chuckled and smiled slyly. "Learned all of my manners from you, grandpa," he said. "So, I suppose you want to talk about the storybook I gave her. Once Upon a Time."

"All in good time, Henry. I am not mad that you gave it to her. I am actually pleased that you did. Saved me a great amount of trouble and a lot of uncomfortable conversations."

"Glad you are pleased. If you don't mind, I have questions of my own."

"Go on then."

"When are you going to come out from the shadows? You have no reason to hide, no reason to feel unloved. I mean, just look at all you have. You have a whole other family just a carriage ride away, a beautiful wife, and a stunning young woman as a daughter."

"About that...there is something about Ellery I want you to know. Just because the two of you are so close."

Henry sat on the edge of his seat, taking in more wine, feeling he would need it. "Is something wrong with her? Is she alright?" He loved Ellery very much, and cared about her an awful lot. Even though he was her nephew and she his aunt, he still felt some responsibility for her considering how much younger than him she was.

"She is fine, however, not all the time. You see, the Dark One Curse makes me appear as I do."

"Right, and?"

"Well, when Ellery was conceived, I was still under the curse. My dark magic is a part of her, so that dark magic makes her appearance shift as it does mine. Yesterday, she changed. Her appearance changed. She looked like...well...me."

He could only imagine Ellery in such a state. She seemed too pretty to be able to transform, well, into that. "Really? She can do that?" Henry asked, still not able to believe such a statement. "Well, I wouldn't consider that a power, rather a curse, but yes, Ellery can transform between the Dark One state and her normal state," Rumple explained. "And you saw it?" Henry questioned. "It happened a few times. Mostly when she was younger and ill tempered, but never did it fully take control. Belle was able to sooth her before it get noticeable. However, yesterday, Belle was not there when she changed, she saw herself in the mirror. She did not take it lightly." Henry shrugged. "I could imagine, but why are you telling me this?"

"She confides in you. She trusts you. I trust you. I know things have been difficult since we returned from Storybrooke, I know I do not see you as often as I should, but it was to protect Ellery from her own curse; me being her father. I knew from the very beginning that if I was to ever have a child with Belle that they would be forced to live in darkness like your father was. Unable to ever leave the castle, not have any friends, be shunned by everyone and everything. That is, of course, unless I was the one to be locked away. That way, she could at least have a chance at a normal life."

Henry gave a slight throat laugh and shook his head. He leaned over the table as if plotting some attack with his grandfather, or was about to tell him some huge secret. But what he stated was the obvious and that obvious was clear. "No one in our family has a chance at a normal life. That's what makes it interesting, grandpa." Rumple chuckled, agreeing with that whole heartedly, but Henry's smile slowly faded as he thought of what to say next, knowing it had to be said. "I don't remember much about my father, but I wish I did." Rumple looked up to Henry, looked to his grandson closely, seeing his Baelfire within Henry's spirit. "I know my father had a troubled childhood. I read that storybook at least a hundred and one times. I know how difficult his life was...but I also know that you have changed greatly from what you were to who you are now. And I also know that Ellery will have an amazing life because you learned your lesson and you value your new knowledge. You won't make the same mistakes you did. I don't care what anyone says, you were a good father the first time around, and I know for a fact you will be an even better one this time around. I know it, grandpa."

Rumple smiled sadly at his grandson, truly able to see that same twelve year old boy still within, he never leaving. He reached across the table and grabbed Henry's hand, having missed him. He barely saw this boy and he was just about the last connection he had to his son. He wouldn't let this relationship slip. Never. "You always had a pure heart, Henry. That's why I question how it is we can possibly be related, but I am glad we are." Henry grinned and nodded in agreement. "Me too," he said.

"What about the storybook, grandpa? Do you want me to take it back?" Rumple shook his head. "No, let her read. It will tell her everything she needs to know and more. It makes her happy to learn about her family, and why ruin it when she only has a day left?"

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land of the Past<em>

_Same thing as before, magically transporting himself from one side of the wall to the other, and then flipping into the castle with ease. He wore the cloak all the way up to the hall that lead to that same room he had spied on yesterday, and sure enough the voices were still there. Still chattering about strategies and what not. How to stop the ogres, push them back, protect the town and whatever. Todd didn't want to go into detail about it. It bored him. _

_Hiding behind a wall at the beginning of the hall that lead to that room, Todd removed the hood of his cloak from his head, revealing himself to all eyes. He took a deep breath, examining the scene before stepping out into the lit up corridors, the burning smell of candles filling up his nose as he walked, not caring if his feet echoed or not. He may have even strutted, he wasn't sure, but he was confident in the words he had to say, sure about them. He had been taught by the master of tongue twisting, he was sure he could convince this dying kingdom to resort to the Dark One for help. He reached the wooden doors, made a tight fist and knocked. _

_Slowly, and silently for the voices had stopped speaking, the doors creaked open, allowing the young one entrance and a better view of the room. Pretty large, a single throne in one corner, and the table still covered in maps and stone figures. Poor souls, desperate for help. "It's just a boy," one man said, turning his head to Sir Maurice. "How did he get past the wall?" Maurice asked and Todd smiled calmly at them all. "Low defenses I guess," he spoke for the guards who were asked the question. "He's obviously not a threat," someone else said. A rather tall fellow dressed in blue. Handsome, standing rather close to that stunning woman dressed in gold again. Damn, she was beautiful and Todd could keep his eyes on her all day, even though he knew he was just too young for her. "Let him in." The guards stood aside, letting Todd enter. "Thank you," he smiled at them as he strolled over to the table. _

_"You guys are in a bit of a jam, aren't you?" Todd asked as he examined the war table. A lot worse than he thought it was. _Good luck with this one, Rumple,_ he said to himself. "Who are you?" Sir Maurice asked, making Todd look over his shoulder and smile. "Not important. What is, is the information I have to offer you." _

_"What kind of information?"_

_"On how to win your war." _

_All stood shell shocked at the words Todd said, while the man dressed in blue began to chuckle. "What could a little boy know about winning a war? How old are you, anyway? Thirteen?" Todd frowned, folding his arms and leaning against the war table, now facing the others. "Fourteen, dumb ass," Todd said. The man was silenced from his laughter as Todd went on to explain himself. _

_"Look, I can't tell you how to win your war, I can only make a suggestion. I know this can work because he has done it before. Single handedly brought about an end to the first Ogres War. Perhaps you know of him? He is referred to as the Dark One. Most powerful being in all the worlds. People cower at his feet...even ogres." Maurice and the others stood on their toes, holding their breathes, not so sure of the idea. _

_"Do you even know where he is?" the woman in gold asked, that same shinning bell in his ears when she spoke. That voice was fetching. "I can deliver him a message from you if you like, asking for protection. I warn you now, however, that if you do ask for his help you must give him something in return." _

_The man in blue shook his head, not agreeing with the plan at all. "I don't like it, Sir Maurice. It is the Dark One-"_

_"Who ended the first Ogres War without spilling a single drop of blood," Maurice argued. It wasn't his favorite idea, but it was one worth considering. How long? How long did this offer stand? "When must we have our answer?" Maurice asked Todd, who still folded his arms, still leaned against the table. "Today," he answered. "That offer leaves with me. I am not coming back. Many other kingdoms in trouble." _

_"If he ended the first Ogres War so easily," the man in blue spoke up again, "why doesn't he do the same this time around?" _

_"If you are good at something, never do it for free," Todd answered. _

_"How much does he desire?" Sir Maurice questioned, all eyes shifting to him. _

_"Whatever you have to give," Todd responded. _

_This was too big of decision to make at the moment, Maurice really desired more time to think this through, but the offer left with the boy and it seemed to be the miracle they had been praying for. Maurice brought his fingers to his temples, easing the stress and pain in his head. He walked over to his throne and sat, thinking it through. Thinking everything through. The Dark One. Can he be trusted? He seemed to have a heart. He even lead the children home once he brought that end to the first war. Maurice sighed and processed all of this too quickly. "I don't agree with this idea," he muttered, leaving Todd to stand up straight and walk towards the door. _

_"Suit yourself. Lots more kingdoms to suggest the offer to. Maybe they will be saved while your kingdom falls," he spoke as he headed towards the door, but a sudden sweet voice stopped him. The girl in gold. "Wait, please," she begged. Todd stopped and turned around, facing the woman in gold who turned towards her father. _

_"Papa, ask him for help," she said. "What?" Maurice looked up to her, surprised that Belle would even suggest such a thing, agree to it. Inviting the Dark One to come and help them, but she had faith and that was something a lot of people lacked when your kingdom is about to fall. "What other choice do we have? Let more of our people die? Papa, it is the best chance you got. Please, use it." Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to wasted breaths of Todd's time. _

_He turned on his heels and resumed heading towards the door until Maurice called to him. "Alright, I'll send the Dark One a message, asking for his help. You can deliver it, can't you?" Maurice asked and Todd bowed to him. "I would be honored to do you such a favor, Your Majesty." Maurice grabbed a piece of parchment and quill, dipping the tip in ink and beginning his message. _

_"How should I address him?" Maurice asked, and before Todd could respond, Belle spoke up. "Rumplestiltskin." Todd and Maurice, as well as everyone else, shifted their gaze towards her who saw it as no big deal that she knew this man's name. "His name is Rumplestiltskin, papa." Maurice, not asking questions now, turned his head back to the parchment and wrote out the name before continuing the letter, trying to sound as friendly and desperate, as possible. Once finished, he rolled up the parchment and handed it to Todd, allowing the young man to bow once more before turning on his heels and leaving for real this time. "Pleasure doing business with you Sir Maurice, and um..." he trailed off, looking to the woman in gold. _

_"Belle," she smiled. "Princess Belle." _

_What a beautiful name, meaning beauty itself. Todd smiled and bowed to her. _

_"Pleasure doing business with you, Princess Belle." _

* * *

><p><strong>That's it for now. New chapter will be up soon and WOW! Season four is starting off good!<strong>


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